As we continue to celebrate Women this March, let’s honor Chicago's Ukrainian Women who moved to the homeland to make difference.
Chicago is the epicenter for raising intelligent, ambitious, curious trail blazers like Marta Kolomayets, Natalie Jaresko and Kateryna (Chumachenko ) Yushchenko who found adventure and opportunity abroad.
Like last week's featured women, they are children of immigrants who came to America from Displaced Persons camps after World War II — and they were all born and raised in Chicago, their parents prioritized education. These women all thrived in their high school and went on to be in to be top of their class at: University of Illinois, University of Chicago and Harvard.
They were all over achievers destined to change the world!
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Marta Kolomayets our beloved friend of the Museum, who we are still mourning in the Chicago Ukrainian Community and in Ukraine, passed away this past August at the age of 61. Marta was the first American journalist to come to Ukraine, and worked tirelessly at The Ukrainian Weekly (1982–1998). She served as Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Women's Foundation and Director of the Fulbright Program Ukraine for the past seven years until her passing. (to find out more about Marta see below)
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Natalie Jaresko demonstrated drive and tenacity even during her Ukrainian School days, so it surprised none of us when she became the Prime Minister of Finance of Ukraine from (Dec 2014-April 2016). In 2003 she was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Princess Olga for her contributions to the Ukrainian economy.
(to find out more about Natalie see below)
- Kateryna (Chumachenko) Yushchenko and her strong Ukrainian upbringing led her to become a public servant at the U.S. State Department. Kateryna became the First Lady of Ukraine when her husband Victor Yushchenko was elected in 2005 to 2010. Currently, she chairs the Ukraine 3000 International Foundation.
(to find out more about Kateryna see below)
Between them, these hard working women have spent nearly half of their lives in their ancestors' homeland. They built a sisterhood of mutual admiration which bonded these powerful women as they worked together, and supported each others' projects and programs, while leading us all by example!
"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it". – William Arthur Ward.
We're proud to say our Chicago women are making history!
