"I was born and raised in Kirovograd (now Kropyvnytskyi), Ukraine. I was lucky enough to visit different parts of the country while growing up. We did not live a lavish life, not many people did. But Ukraine is where I learned about the value of hard work, determination, and resilience. I learned to never give up, no matter what. And I learned to appreciate small things in life.

I came to the United States when I was 17 to go to college. I was young and bright-eyed and had no fear to cross the ocean by myself and come to a country where I didn't know anyone. I felt that everything my parents taught me, the education they provided for me, and the grit I acquired prepared me well for the journey and the new chapter in my life. I got my Bachelor's and Master's degrees, found a job that I loved, built my career, and started an amazing family here in the United States.

I truly believe that everything I have accomplished and the person I am today is because of where I am from and the way I was raised. The Ukrainian women I grew up around, my mom, my grandmas, and my aunts, taught me how to be strong and independent. The Ukrainian men I grew up around, my dad, my grandpas, and my uncle, taught me that anything is possible if you never give up. I am the woman I am today because of them! And because of them and the Ukrainian spirit in me, I am able to set out to help others during these terrifying times of the war.

Fashion and design was something I really enjoyed since I was a little girl. I remember looking through my mom’s fashion magazines over and over again and admiring the variety of beautiful clothing and the possibilities of making new interesting clothing. My mom, Svitlana H., learned how to sew and make all kinds of crafts when she was young. She made cute clothes for my sister and I when we were little. When I was old enough she taught me how to make clothing for my dolls. Unfortunately, being a fashion designer was not a good career in post-USSR Ukraine. I went on to become a computer programmer, a career that I loved just as much. I feel both fashion design and software engineering and design have many things in common. You get to create something new that has not been done before or put a twist on a traditional design. It takes some patience and skills to do both. Many people do not realize how much ground work, trial and error, and grit it takes to create the final product they see, whether its a software program or a beautiful piece of clothing.

When the war in Ukraine started it was a no-brainer for me to choose something I could do to raise funds for my non-profit organization, the Nova Spark Foundation. Fashion seemed like a natural choice. I get to meet amazing people across the industry and to show the rest of the world the beauty of Ukraine and what it has to offer to its people and people who come from other cultures."

~Yulia Boozer