Oleksii’s story
Oleksii Sandul fled Kyiv in Ukraine in 2022, aged just 15, when the Russian invasion began.
Studying the IB diploma at ISA helped him build a new life, and he now considers Aberdeen his second home.
“We didn’t think it would be for long, maybe a couple of months. So, when we left Kyiv, we didn’t pack much. I remember having a backpack, maybe a small suitcase, but that was all. My dad stayed behind in Ukraine as men over 18 had to stay behind, and most of my relatives from the south of Ukraine in Crimea.
“It was a difficult journey to get to the border, and the trip took a lot of time. There were so many people trying to flee. It was stressful, but staying in Kyiv wasn’t safe.”
After fleeing Ukraine, Oleksii and his family stayed in Poland for a while before moving to Aberdeen. His mum applied to ISA as she was keen for Oleksii and his brother to make new friends and to learn English.
“At the time, it was difficult. I’d studied English growing up and taken extra classes, as my parents were fluent speakers, but I’d learnt formal English. While my grammar was on point, I didn’t know any slang, so it was harder than I expected to speak to people of my own age. In the end, I adapted quite well, and after half a year, I was OK.”
What really helped Oleksii settle in was the warmth and welcome of everyone at ISA, as well as the people of Aberdeen.
“They were super friendly to me and I now have a few long-lasting friendships. ISA is such a great school. The teachers are very supportive, and there’s an encouraging environment. I’m so grateful to them for everything they’ve done, finding different sources, methods, and techniques to support my learning.
“I spent many hours studying, and it wasn’t always easy, especially when I was balancing schoolwork with a part-time job. However, the IB diploma programme helps you become well-rounded. Besides taking maths, English, social sciences, and sciences, you also take creative subjects and a language. You also volunteer in the community as part of the diploma, so you focus not only on schoolwork but also on real-life experiences.”
Oleksii’s hard work paid off. He scored 38 in the IB, well above the 34 needed to meet his offer at the University of Edinburgh to study Business and Economics.
“I feel the IB prepared me well for university. We have an extended essay; it’s 4,000 words and is a research paper. It pushes you, and I think that’s what makes the transition to university easier.”
One of the things Oleksii enjoyed most about ISA is the wide variety of extracurricular clubs.
An enthusiastic footballer and Dinamo Kiev supporter, Oleksii joined the school team early on and travelled to international tournaments in Portugal, London and Madrid.
Ultimately, Oleksii hopes to work in finance, or to run his own business one day.
He also wonders about the possibility of returning to Ukraine.
“I’m not so sure if I would want to come back to Kiev permanently. It’s a very nice place. I love it and I love Ukraine. It’s a beautiful country. But as of now, it’s hard to say. I don’t really know when the war will end, and I like Scotland. I don’t necessarily like the weather, but the people are amazing, and having lived here for quite a while now, I’d say Aberdeen has truly become my second home.”