Julian-Volodymyr Zaiats has just completed his first year in the Bachelor’s program in Computer Science at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of Ukrainian Catholic University. He came to Ukraine from the United States, where he was born and raised. His parents have lived in America for most of their lives. However, they never forgot their homeland and instilled love for it in their four children (Julian, Demian, Adriana, and Markian). That’s why Julian speaks Ukrainian fluently, has attended a Ukrainian church his whole life, and chose to pursue higher education specifically in Ukraine, at UCU. Not even the full-scale invasion stopped him on his path to this goal.
We spoke with Julian after he passed his exams and successfully completed his first academic year at UCU. He shared his impressions of studying in Ukraine during wartime, why he chose Ukrainian Catholic University over other institutions, and what he enjoys most about being here.
Julian (far right) with his parents, brothers, and sister
One of Julian’s grandfathers on his father’s side – Volodymyr Zaiats, a priest of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church – migrated with his family to the USA 35 years ago. Julian’s mother, Nataliya Zaiats, came to the USA to pursue higher education, where she met her future husband, Markian. Julian was born in Milwaukee, near Chicago. When he was one year old, the family moved to Boston, where they still live. Julian has two brothers and a sister. His father is a doctor, and his mother is a professor of finance.
From early childhood, Julian’s parents nurtured love for their native land in their children: at home they speak only Ukrainian and attend Christ the King UGCC Church in Boston. Julian speaks without the slightest accent, so it’s hard to guess that he lived in the U.S. and attended an American school until age 17.
“When we were school-aged, our parents would bring us notebooks and textbooks from Ukraine to study from. That’s why I speak and write Ukrainian. Also, during summer vacations, we would travel to Lviv to visit relatives and attend various camps,” Julian says. “My grandfather, a priest, had a big impact on shaping me not only as a Ukrainian but as a Christian. He wanted us to speak Ukrainian and not forget our native land and church. That’s why I’ve been serving in church since I was little.”
Julian during the Divine Liturgy celebrated by his grandfather
Julian studied at a Catholic school in Boston. He admits that even though he had the opportunity to continue his education anywhere in the USA, he was drawn to studying in Ukraine because of his Ukrainian roots.
“I’m an ethnic Ukrainian,” Julian emphasizes. “And I’m convinced that education in Ukraine will give me a golden opportunity and help me better understand the country and its people.”
Despite the full-scale war launched by Russia against Ukraine, Julian’s parents supported his decision. He notes with sadness that, after a year of study, he’s already grown used to air raid alerts and shelling.
“Once, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, president of UCU, came to our church. My brothers and I served at the altar with him. I remember him talking about UCU. I was very intrigued by the university. Later, when I came to Ukraine, I attended an open house and the student day celebration. After that, I definitively decided that I wanted to study here,” Julian recalls.
He chose the Computer Science program because he has been interested in math and physics since childhood. He says studying at UCU is very interesting, though challenging.
“The school curriculum in the USA is very different from that in Ukraine. In that sense, it’s hard for me because I lived my whole life in America. But the difficulty at UCU shows that the professors and lecturers maintain a high academic standard,” Julian emphasizes.
Julian lives in the Collegium, where students and staff reside in the same building. In his first year, he made many new friends from various faculties and regions of Ukraine. He especially enjoys the formation program that all UCU students take part in.
Julian with UCU friends (center, in light-colored shirt)
“I can’t imagine my life without the Collegium. We’re all in the same boat there: we help and support each other. I like that it’s not just a dormitory. A very important part of life in the Collegium is the formation program, which is designed for young people to instill Christian values. I believe this will help us deal with life’s challenges in the future,” Julian says.
Julian plans to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree in the USA after completing his bachelor’s. He is confident that after four years at UCU, he’ll be able to do so without difficulty, since the university provides an excellent education.
