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The concept of the United States as a great melting pot is an apt description of how cultural differences of immigrants have melded together to form a unique U.S. culture.
Natalia Jouikova is, in a sense, a walking melting pot of heritages and experiences that she brings to her position as French teacher here at BWHS. She was born in Ukraine and grew up in the Soviet Union, with a mother from Ukraine and a father from a village in Siberia who met at college in Moscow.
“My father’s village was so remote he hadn’t seen an airplane or a train until he was about 16!” said Ms. Jouikova. “He had dreams to come to the BIG world! To get to Moscow it’s the same idea as if you make it in New York, you’ve made it. In a big urban area there, if you're able to get a job and get an apartment, you’ve made it. At the same time, it's hard because you lack roots and a support system since your folks are far away.”
Growing up, Ms. Jouikova spent her summers with her grandparents in Ukraine and eventually attended university in Moscow and enrolled in an exchange program with the University of Budapest in Hungary where she earned her degree in mechanical engineering. While there she started taking language courses. "As long as I can remember, I was always obsessed with languages," she said. She is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, French and English.
A guest lecturer at the University of Budapest, American professor Dr. Richard Lester, befriended Ms. Jouikova and her husband and encouraged them to learn about the United States. They decided to study in the U.S. and, following Dr. Lester’s advice, after landing in Washington, D.C. they promptly got on a Greyhound bus to go visit Dr. Lester in Alabama.
“It’s interesting because on the bus you get at the heart of this country,” she said. “You’re not walking the glossy avenues. You see all kinds of people getting on and off and places going by. It was very revealing because all of the states have their own character. They’re different.”
Both Ms. Jouikova and her husband went on to earn MBA degrees from Baker College in Flint, Mich. and then found jobs in the U.S. After starting a family and moving to Ohio, Ms. Jouikova got her teaching degree from Ashland University.
Recently, Ms. Jouikova had an impactful realization, making a connection between her mentor Dr. Lester and her five years with us at Bishop Watterson.
“Dr. Lester’s remarkable character traits as a person and friend, as a professor and employee were quite obvious – he was deeply and devoutly Catholic. He lived out his faith and acted out the values that he believed in by making it every-day, commonplace, obvious things to do,” she said. “He himself was a first generation American from an Italian-Irish background which gave him a unique perspective on how folks come to this country and try to make it. His selfless personal work ethic as well as his open-mindedness and overwhelming kindness impressed us so much that we could not believe our luck meeting such a truly remarkable person. He and his wife opened their home and hearts for us. He always encouraged me to take the lead and responsibility with everything I do in life, to lead by example, and to give back to the community.
“Lucky for me, I found a place where I am seeing and feeling the same magic in the people I work with here at Bishop Watterson.”
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