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26 “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2009 Roots, Shoots, and Blooms: History and a Child of the Diaspora Not long ago, I received an email from a member of Soyuz Ukrainok in Denver, one of many email and telephone friends I have made courtesy of my role as editor of Our Life . The email came as a response to my call for manuscripts (or at least information) about talented and interesting young women in our hromadas and inclu ded a bare - bones description of a young woman named Roxolana Wynar who had recently earned a Master’s degree from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver (DU). It was a process that included writing and defending a thes is (before a panel of professors) on a subject that piqued my interest enough to pick up the phone and call her to get more details. It was a rewarding conversation, during which I learned much about Roxolana, much about the world, and even a little about myself. The conversation began as I usually begin conversations with Ukrainians living in the diaspora — whether the communication should in Ukrainian or English, with the underlying assumption that with someone born and raised in the United States would p refer English. To my surprise, Roxolana insisted on Ukrainian, providing a rational I found both engaging and interesting. Growing up in Denver, she explained, she was brought up in a small hromada, one that might easily and quietly have become assimilated in the broader culture of America but for the dedication of people determined to preserve their heritage by example, by perseverance, and by providing the means to do so. One of those people was Roxolana’s mother, Tatianna Gajecky - Wynar, who is a member of UNWLA Branch 38 in Denver and someone who has spent many years organizing hromada cultural events and many years inculcating an interest in Ukrainian culture and history in her children. Roxolana, for example, has participated in Ukrainian cultural pro grams, since the age of three — dancing, singing, reciting poetry, or other - wise keeping her heritage alive and well. As a pupil and student in local schools, she wrote reports and did presentations focused on her ethnic roots and ethnic themes, embellishing these with maps, craft displays, traditional Ukrainian foods, and other symbols of her heritage. Strengthening ties to a distant Ukrainian homeland in an environment with relatively few Ukrainians was no easy task, and Roxolana’s extracurricular activit ies included journeys to other parts of the United States and even to Ukraine. She participated in Roma Prima Bohachevska’s dance workshop at the Ukrainian resort Verkhovyna in New York during the summer of 2000; the Volosh - ky Dance Ensemble workshop in Le highton, Pen - nsylvania, in 2001; and the Yunist dance workshop in Lviv, Ukraine, in 2002. These experiences prompt - ed a personal creative endeavor — choreo graphing Ukrainian dances for high school and university performances at cultural and international fe stivals and events, as a soloist or with other young women who learned the intricacies of Ukrainian folk dancing from her — two Ukrainian girls (daughters of her parish priest), a female Italian exchange student from Sicily, and a girl from Russia. Her end eavors to share something of Ukrainian culture with others extended to song — a member of her high school choir at St. Mary’s Academy in Denver, Roxolana became involved in the choir’s Christmas concert one year, an invol - vement that led to teaching everyone in the choir to Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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