For the first time since 2019, we returned home to Ukraine for the UGS Bootcamp, spending ten unforgettable days together in Izky, Zakarpattia.
Throughout the bootcamp, 39 new finalists prepared for their college and boarding school applications with the support of volunteers – mostly UGS students from earlier cohorts. Once in the same seats with the same dreams, they now chose to give back. In their “buddy” sessions, our students and alumni spoke openly about their own journeys: the opportunities and challenges of studying abroad, the struggle with homesickness, and, above all, why coming back to Ukraine after graduation is a mission, not just a choice.
This year is special for us, as for the first time since our foundation in 2015, we were joined by the UGS alumni who went through the full cycle of studying at the world’s best universities and returned. They spoke about the responsibility that comes with world-class education, about how their degrees aren’t just personal achievements but tools for rebuilding Ukraine. For the new cohort, these real case examples served as an inspiration and a call to action.
Throughout the boot camp, our finalists worked closely with the UGS advisers who came from the US to join us on-site.
Each year, we invite inspiring Ukrainians who studied abroad and chose to return home to build their careers in Ukraine. This year, we welcomed Taras Prokopyshyn – CEO of The Ukrainians Media. A 2023 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Taras spoke about his journey of creating a world-class media outlet in Ukraine and how his time at Harvard became a powerful tool for transformation.
Holding this bootcamp in Ukraine, 10 years after UGS was founded, felt deeply symbolic. In a country fighting for its freedom and future, the 2025 Cohort heard a unifying message from students, alumni, advisers, and speakers alike: our greatest strength comes from people who believe in Ukraine – and in the power of world’s best education and community to shape its tomorrow.
