Long braids, eccentric rings, stylish Ukrainian outfits. These elements are tied to Coppell High School senior Sofiia Chernyshova, showcasing her individuality and Ukrainian heritage.
Chernyshova was born and raised in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine and immigrated to America four years ago. Her family’s decision was pushed by political situations inside the country.
“There have been conflicts going on for a while since 2014, and it has been a question of time when it’s going to move to a large-scale invasion from the regional conflict,” Chernyshova said. “So my dad applied for a green card a couple of times and when we got one, we decided to move to the United States.”
Chernyshova and her family’s journey from Ukraine was difficult.
“We were traveling for around 40 hours by three planes,” Sofiia’s father Levgen Chernyshov said. “First, we traveled for about four hours by bus from our hometown Kropyvnytskyi to Kyiv, then flew to Frankfurt am Main. There was a transfer to another flight across the Atlantic to Seattle, and from there, it was another short flight to Boise, Idaho.”
After yet another flight, the Chernyshov’s long and arduous journey led them to Texas.
“Our move to America was a deliberate and much-discussed decision,” Mr. Chernyshov said. “This is a land of opportunities and Sofia understands this. She is working hard in her studies and plans to go to college to realize her American dream.”
Learning the English language was a struggle for Sofiia.
“When I moved to the United States, I couldn’t understand 70% of the English that people were telling me and it was hard to just start speaking,” Sofiia said. “I did learn English in my school in Ukraine, but it was primarily in an academic way. So I had to learn it in a conversational way on the spot in the United States.”
In her free time, Sofiia loves researching Ukrainian history and learning more about her country by visiting museums. To enhance her understanding of American culture, she attends theaters, sporting events and cultural exhibitions.
“That’s probably my biggest connection to my culture right now,” Sofiia said. “I’m planning on majoring in political science and minoring in history in college.”
Although separated from her home country, Sofiia’s mother continues to uphold her family’s Ukrainian culture.
“She’s very Ukrainian,” Sofiia said. “She grew up in the village, so she was surrounded by language and traditions that they practiced prior to Russian imperialism. My mom also cooks an amazing borscht, which is a red beet soup.”
Sofiia has a great love for Ukrainian food, and longs for more Ukrainian cuisine in America. However, she avoids purchasing Russian products due to its ongoing war with Ukraine, limiting her ability to enjoy cultural foods.
“I wish the stores here had 100 kinds of cheese and juice but there’s really not a lot of Ukrainians in the United States,” Sofiia said. “The only European stores here are mostly German and Russian.”
Sofiia’s connection to her Ukrainian heritage allows her to embrace her background through fashion.
(Aditi Narayangari)
“I love wearing my vyshyvanka, which is an embroidered Ukrainian shirt and my kryza, which is a necklace,” Sofiia said. “Ukrainians also love braids and I would say that it’s definitely a part of my everyday hairstyles.”
Sofiia also has personal dress-up days on Tuesday, where she incorporates Ukrainian flag colors in her clothes as well as in her senior jeans.
To connect with others of Ukrainian heritage, Sofiia attends the St. Sophia Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Dallas every Sunday.
“We celebrate holidays by making cultural cards and wearing whistle braids,” Sofiia said. “Ukrainians love singing, and I’m also in the choir at both my church and at CHS.”
While assimilating into American culture, Sofiia notices some differences in social engagements.
“Ukrainians specifically have this generational trauma so we’re really closed up and we don’t smile a lot,” Sofiia said. “But Americans are so open and they smile when they have small talk, and I think it’s great to be friendly to others.”
Sofiia’s friends appreciate her unique personality.
“When I met her for the first time, I noticed that she was more assertive than most people,” senior Sarah Mi-Sedhi said. “She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she defends her beliefs. I think it’s pretty admirable.”
Despite leaving her familiar life to seek safety for her and her family, Sofiia’s love for Ukrainian culture stuck with her.
“Even though I moved to America, I still feel like I’m connected to my cultural roots,” Sofiia said. “Right now, there’s not much time while being a senior, but I try to keep that connection together when I can.”
This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on October 9, 2025.
