OGDEN, Utah — Attending college is a dream come true for many young people, and that is particularly the case for Weber State University student Artem Koval, who moved to the United States from Ukraine when he was 16.
Koval is studying computer science, a field that he first became interested in as a boy, as his father worked as an electrical engineer in his hometown of Zaporizhzia.
His fascination with technology ranges from video games to building computers.
“As a kid, I wanted to become a scientist, I knew that for sure,” Koval said.
Living in the United States was a lifelong dream for the family, who emigrated to this country before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“It felt like coming to a different planet,” Koval said. “I had a lot to learn about the culture and how to interact with people, but academically, I found it to be a space where I excelled.”
Koval says that college is a challenging goal for immigrants because of the many barriers they face with language, cultural differences, and financial hardships.
He says that GEAR UP, an online program designed to help students in Weber and Davis Counties prepare for college, helped pave the way.
“College was eye-opening for me,” Koval said. “Weber State helped me explore and find out new things about myself that I didn’t know existed.”
But he has flourished in college, becoming a math and computer science tutor and looking toward a career in helping to reduce climate change.
“For many immigrants like me, college doesn't have to be just a dream,” Koval said. “No matter where you are in life, you should not throw away the possibility of going and pursuing higher education.”
