DREAM FULFILLED
Ukrainian- born Stamford High graduate heading to Harvard
Growing up, Yana Hubyak was aware of three colleges: Yale, Princeton, and Harvard.
The Ukraine native immigrated to Stamford at the age of 5 to live with her parents, who didn’t go to college or know anything about the American college application.
So a young Hubyak set her sights on an Ivy League School, and one in particular caught her eye.
“Right off the bat, I thought Harvard seems like a great school,” she said.
This fall, she’ll see for herself. Hubyak will be attending Harvard, either in person or virtually, and is leaning toward an education in business and finance with perhaps a minor in linguistics.
The studious Hubyak just completed a stellar academic career at Stamford High, receiving an almost perfect grade point average. She thanked her “amazing teachers” that helped her along the way.
In particular, she said Stamford teachers helped her with English, which was her second language.
“I’ve struggled with English as a subject just because my vocabulary wasn’t as expansive as others,” she said. “I had amazing teachers who guided me through a lot and who helped me boost my English knowledge.”
But a lot of her motivation, she said, was making her parents proud. “My parents came here and expected me to do great things with my life,” she said.
Hubyak is part of a graduating class that won’t take part in a typical graduation ceremony this year. But she said she will be at Stamford’s in- person graduation in July, when a limited amount of graduates will participate during designated times.
“I bought a cap and gown, so I’m not going to let it just sit in the closet,” Hubyak said.
Her parents came to Stamford when Hubyak was 3, leaving her to live in Ukraine with her grandmother. At age 5, Hubyak flew to Stamford to be reunited with her parents.
She completed her entire education in Stamford, attending Stark Elementary School and Toquam Magnet Elementary School before moving on to Scofield Magnet Middle School, and, finally, Stamford High.
She described her time in high school as “the best four years of my life.”
But the Harvard- bound grad said she’s ready for the next step.
“I definitely think I’m looking forward to being more independent and figuring life out on my own,” she said.
“Right off the bat, I thought Harvard seems like a great school.”
Yana Hubyak, Stamford High School graduate who will attend Harvard in the fall