Zoriana Romashynais is a philologist, speech and pronunciation coach, author of educational programs and an experienced teacher.  She has been working with international companies, developing new methods of teaching English and working on public speech preparation. But simultaneously she has quietly and consistently been dedicating her time to an additional area of work, supporting children, immigrants and church communities.

Making the very first steps in Texas: where it all started

Zoriana Romashyna started her charity work long before her major initiatives as an adult. It all quietly began with her activity as a volunteer in a little town of Buffalo, Texas in the United States. Back in 2006-2007 at the age of 15 Zoriana was studying in the US as an exchange student and became a volunteer at the local First Baptist Church. She took part in making Easter and Christmas prompts, decorations, arranging activity programs and rehearsals for kids, as well as assisting in organizing family activities. She made as much input as any other adult member of the community.

Despite her young age, she was so much more than just a “guest”. She was actively involved in real community projects, honored to be trusted and feeling that her input was mattered. She then first realized that charity is not about sacrifice but rather about contributing to the lives of those around you. It was during her exchange year in the United States that she could see charity as a simple and integral part of one’s life instead of being perceived as an exception or act heroism.

Such humble experience planted the seed for her future social involvement and activity in Ukraine, and then later again in the United States. Despite the fact that it’s been over 15 years, Zoriana still considers the year she spent in Texas as a starting point: when charity was no longer seen as something “extraordinary” and became an integral part of her everyday life.

Back in Ukraine – with a totally new outlook

After a year of volunteer experience in Texas Zoriana came back to Ukraine with a drastically different perception of charity. She carried on working with children – as a teacher, interpreter, organizer of children events and other initiatives. She adapted some of the approaches she witnessed in the US to Ukrainian realities: e.g. more freedom in educational process, attention to individual needs of each child, community engagement.

One of the major initiatives of the time was her charity language learning project for orphans. Zoriana herself wrote a unique adapted curriculum for those kids, who had no access to quality or extracurricular education. Her classes included more than just grammar and focused on interactive, gaming, speech and communication practices. The main purpose was to create an environment, where children not only studied English, but could also gain the confidence and see new horizons.

This experience started a new chapter in her life: balancing education and empathy, structure and creativity, teaching and serving others. This is when she fully shaped her ability to communicate with children through the language of support, which she has been effectively implementing since then, regardless of the country where she lives.  

California: community engagement

Having relocated to the US in 2022 Zoriana once again became part of a familiar environment of faith and support at local Ukrainian church communities. She became a volunteer at Calvary Community Church working with children of Ukrainian immigrants. The project for kids started with the need for an adaptive teaching program, which would help the kids adjust to a new language and cultural environment. With the help of games, songs, communication and sharing stories Zoriana helped the children gain confidence and feel heard and understood. Everything that was once theory and methodology now became a real practical instrument of support.

Zoriana also joined Los Angeles Ukrainian Christian Church community. In 2024 Ukrainian church hosted a major event which marked three years of full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Zoriana was one of the key organizers of this event. She coordinated cooperation between the church representatives, program participants and the press, and volunteered as an interpreter for the event. From veterans’ speeches to musical performances – every moment was not only emotional, but well-though through logistically. Through the work that she did Zoriana managed to touch the hearts of people – in English, yet with the touch of Ukrainian background.

This event was highlighted in local papers, and the church leaders officially expressed their gratitude to Zoriana. But what really matters to her is that they managed to create a special environment for common memories, where war is more than just news, but a personal story to everyone listening.

This event is just another, yet not the only, example of her involvement: Zoriana has been doing volunteer work for Globe4Uktaine and helping as an interpreter and events coordinator in order to support Ukraine and Ukrainian community in the United States.

What Zoriana does is rarely mentioned in official reports or speeches. Yet, her contribution is recognized by those who need to know they are not alone. She is building a bridge of trust for those living in a changeable environment, in a country which is no longer foreign, yet isn’t home, in a language people are not fluent in. With no big talk, but the attention that stays with people for long.