Introduce yourself. Tell us about your given name. What was your first language? (if not English) What other languages do you speak? Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
My name is Evgeniia Sokolovska, but my maiden last name was Nykolyuk. I was born in Ukraine, the little village called Nedoboivtsi, and I grew up there. After I got married, me and my family moved to the little city of Khotyn which was close to my native village. My first language is Ukrainian and I love it. I also speak Russian because when I was a child, most schools in Ukraine were in Russian Language, but at home my family always spoke in Ukrainian. Now I also speak English because I moved to USA 6 years ago and since then I live in Sacramento and I enjoy my life in the United States.
What is your race? Your nationality/ethnicity? Describe your culture.
I am white and I'm Ukrainian, I love my people but I love to live here. In my culture the food is so much different that American. We have special type of Ukrainian clothing and it is really beautiful. In our culture songs are important part. Our songs always tell the story of our country and they are really beautiful. I think that Ukrainian culture is very interesting and even if I live in the USA I live like Ukrainian.
What is important to you? What is the most important thing for teachers to provide for young children? (no wrong answers, just talk about what is on your mind after the first week of reading assignments)
I think that family and what person believes in is really important for every person, and every family. For me it is important that teachers should teach their children about right family. Children should know that their lives should be right and to be happy, they should make other people happy. If some child makes some disabled child happy then he or she will remember it for the rest of the live and it may affect the future of the child.
Who are you? How do you define yourself? What is your story? Where/Who do you come from? What experiences did you and your ancestors have? If you are adopted, answer what questions you can and talk about the family you know, identify with, and relate to best.
I am happy wife and mother of 4 children. I was born in Ukraine and I had the happiest childhood ever. I loved to spend time with my brothers and sisters. We were playing so many games and even if we were working a lot, helping my parents. When I was a child I loved to hear the stories of my parents. They remembered the war, they remembered the hungry years when the government took the food of Ukrainian people and children, and my nation was dying in large numbers. My parents always told me how communists were killing christian people only because they did not want to refuse their faith to Jesus. I will always remember the story of my people and what they went through.
Do you have children/grandchildren? Tell us about your family and home.
I have 4 children and I love them all. None of my children are married, so I am not a grandma as well. I love to spend time with my family and I like to just talk to them. My children's names are Tanya, Bogdan, Marta, and Evangelina. Older kids go to Sierra College, and my youngest daughter is going to 5th grade.
Do you currently work with young children? Tell us about your job with children.
Currently I do not work with young children, but I am very interested in how they grow and how the surrounding and different cultures affect their lives.
Beyond being a required class, how might learning more about culture and diversity be useful to you both now and in the future?
I am Ukrainian, and my youngest daughter as well as my older children spend lots of time with people from different cultures. It is interesting for me how their lives are affected by the surrounding people who are their friends.
What do you like to do with your time? Hobbies? Interests? Music you love? Tell the class about yourself so we can better understand one another. This class requires sharing and getting to know one another. This blog or Pinterest board is an introduction of who you are. Be detailed and as descriptive as possible!
I love to cook different types of food, especially Ukrainian food. I also like to draw and listen to christian music. I am excited to meet new friends and I am glad that this class is the one where I can learn about many different people from different cultures. I like to take classes at sierra, especially online ones because they let me spend lots of time with my family. I also take on campus classes at Sierra, but I like to take online classes more. I also love my church where my husband is a pastor, and I sing in a choir. I love God and I use every possibility to tell people about what I believe in and how amazing our God is.
