Ukrainian Kewaskum exchange student's college dream in jeopardy
KEWASKUM, Wis. - Applying to colleges and life after high school are big turning points for a lot of teens, but imagine doing it in a foreign country with no family.
In Kewaskum, there is a Ukrainian exchange student could use your help.
For years, Herai Mamutov's sights were set; he would do anything to study in America. That dream came true in 2021 when he traveled across the world and landed with the Johnson family.
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"He’s really just turned into a part of our family," said Lindsay Johnson.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Mamutov's brief stay turned into something more permanent.
Herai Mamutov
"That was kind of the big scary turning point," Johnson said.
When Mamutov came to America, he was only expecting it to be his home for a year. Now, his family in Ukraine hasn't seen him in two years.
The Johnson family in Kewaskum
"I started really missing them," Mamutov said.
The war in Ukraine stopped Mamutov from going home. His parents, brother, sister and extended family are all still there – more than 5,000 miles away.
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"There’s fights everywhere. Like in the whole Ukraine every day, and I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow," said Mamutov.
His family's safety isn't the only uncertainty. With no idea when he can return home, Mamutov plans to go to college at the University of Colorado-Boulder – that is, if he can get the funds.
Herai Mamutov's University of Colorado-Boulder acceptance letter
"When you go to college, you have to face like – just on your everything that you got. That’s it," Mamutov said.
Mamutov said, because he is not a U.S. citizen, getting financial aid or a scholarship is nearly impossible. His host family started a GoFundMe online fundraiser hoping to raise money for his first semester.
"He was thrown so quickly into this whole process, into having to apply and figure this out," said Scott Johnson.
Mamutov's greatest wish is for the war in Ukraine to end. The Johnson's wish? To give him the American dream in the meantime.