Author: Ulyana Nikitenko, 11th Grade, President of the Ukrainian Club at Adrienne C. Nelson High School
This April, we hosted the second annual “Leleka” conference — an event that continues to grow in size, importance, and emotional depth each year. It brought together over 100 Ukrainian students from various school districts, teachers, experts, volunteers, and members of the Ukrainian community from Oregon, Washington, and even California. As the president of our school’s Ukrainian Club, I believe that this conference isn’t just another event in the academic calendar. It’s part of a greater journey we are taking together — a path where we learn to support one another, discover new opportunities, share experiences, and make friends. Of greatest value — we remember who we are as Ukrainians.
The “Leleka” Conference is an initiative of our Ukrainian Club, brought to life with the inspiration and guidance of Nataliia Zybachynska, and with the support of our school, partners, and the Ukrainian community. This event holds more than learning, choosing a future career, or preparing for college. It’s about the power of community, mutual support, and preserving our identity in new life circumstances. We live in a new country, speak a new language, study in a different system — yet we strive to preserve what is ours: our language, our culture, our values. When we come together at events like this, it’s a special moment — we inspire each other, we share, and we grow together.
This year’s conference brought together truly incredible speakers — representatives from top universities, educators, entrepreneurs, doctors, community leaders, artists, and activists. Among them were people who, not long ago, sat in high school classrooms and now study at Portland State University and UC Berkeley, work for major companies, or launch their projects. Their stories, advice, honesty, and inspiration were a true gift to every participant. They spoke about finding your path, staying strong through uncertainty, believing in yourself even in difficult times, and staying true to your Ukrainian identity — in everyday life, in your values, and your relationships with others.
One of the most emotional quotes I remember came from a girl after one of the workshops:
“This was the first day I wasn’t afraid to speak Ukrainian at school.”
And that’s exactly why we host “Leleka.” So that every Ukrainian child, no matter where they are, knows that their language is not a barrier, but a treasure. Their culture is not something to hide, but something to carry proudly into the world. Their identity is not a weakness, but a source of strength.
Preparation for the conference lasted over three months. These were weeks of planning, daily after-school meetings, phone calls, emails with speakers, discussions about the event format, creating posters, videos, and workshop materials, rehearsals for the hosts, searching for partners, and countless big and small tasks. There were challenges — time constraints, technical issues, nerves before speaking. But that’s where the true value lies: we learned how to work as a team, develop leadership skills, negotiate, ask for help, and take responsibility. We realized that we have a voice — and that voice deserves to be heard.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us and helped make “Leleka” a reality:
North Clackamas School District, Ukrainian Foundation, Be First Communications, KANON Magazine, Libri Event Decor, DAWN Inc., Sunrise Family Medical, Portland State University, and all the volunteers, speakers, parents, and teachers who put a part of themselves into this event. Your support is more than just help — it is your faith in us, in our future, and our strength as a Ukrainian community.
See you at Leleka-2026!
We are already dreaming, planning, and feeling inspired about next year. We are confident that there will be many great ideas to discuss, more stories to tell, and new steps to take.
But most importantly, we stand united more than ever, facing our future together.
Photo by Khrystyna Kryhina