Twins From Ukraine to Graduate High School in Maryland

Twin brothers who got out of Ukraine just four days before Russia invaded graduate from high school in Maryland Thursday.

Yarik and Vlad Vashchuk spent about six months in Poland before moving to Prince George’s County at the start of the school year.

“We had to leave everything, right, friends,” Yarik said. “We went nowhere to nobody.”

Their mom came with them, but their dad and many other relatives had to stay behind.  

“It was a most tough period, because you’re just sitting in the plane flying to here and seeing everything going to change, you know,” Yarik said.

“It was tough to realize that you can’t come back,” Vlad said.

Despite the obstacles, they’ve made the most of their time in America, enrolling at Laurel High School, joining the basketball team and going to senior prom.

“I love the people here,” Vlad said. “They’re so nice; they can help us for everything we want.”

“We’re lucky,” Yarik said. “Yeah, we’re lucky. We’ve been in the right place at the right time, because people had worse situations than us.”

Next fall, they plan to study computer science at Susquehanna University – something they once never even dreamed of.

“I didn’t even see a college like that, even in a movie,” Vlad said. “Yeah, it was awesome.”