Local Ukrainian Students to Celebrate Graduation from Craven CC Today

Valentyna Yakymets and Daryna Slipenko, two Ukrainian students, are graduating from Craven Community College (Craven CC) this Friday. They will receive their Associate degrees at the college's 57th annual Commencement, allowing them to pursue Bachelor’s degrees at a four-year university in the United States.

Both students, originally from Kiev, Ukraine, have been friends since high school. They moved to the U.S. due to the Russian-Ukraine war. Yakymets was the only one from her family who could leave, as males of war-fighting age faced travel restrictions. Slipenko's family also relocated but are now spread across different countries.

Slipenko found a host family in Newport, New Bern, through her brother in Chicago, and Craven CC helped facilitate her move. Two months later, Yakymets joined her, staying with a host family in Emerald Isle.

At Craven CC, Yakymets and Slipenko found a supportive educational environment. They expressed gratitude for the college's role in their academic and personal growth.

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