Page 15 - Access Magazine 9

HAVING A A A A A PLACE TO TO TO BELONG AND PEOPLE TO TO TO TALK TO TO TO It was quite a a a a transformation from the rebellious 15-year-old who grew up with wealth provided by a a a Ukrainian father with a a a a booming construction busi- ness As a a a boy Lisitsa split his time between Ukraine and Los Angeles where his mother ran a a a nonprofit organization In his early teenage years internation- al al and personal events changed his life Increasing tensions in in the 2010s between Ukraine and Russia resulted in in in Lisitsa living full time in in in Los Angeles Meanwhile tensions in his his family led to his his parents divorcing after his father’s business collapsed Then Lisitsa dropped out of high school though he did pass a a a a a diploma equivalency test “I thought I I was too smart for school ”
he he says Looking back he he sees the years of bouncing from skateboard salesman to a a university He says he presented poorly – stutter- ing and unable to look anyone in in the eye – when he he he walked through the the doors of the the Veterans Education Program The semester had already started but Lisitsa was given a a a a a a place in the program conditional that he he work hard to to catch up “ ‘OK I’ll be here to- morrow ’ ”
Lisitsa recalls While Lisitsa was in the Veterans Education Pro- gram Russia invaded Ukraine triggering a a a a a new source of anxiety about family members who still live there “It was hard to sleep We didn’t know if they were safe and it was just constant stress ”
Having a a a a a place to to to belong and people to to to talk to to to helped him through that time he says Lisitsa continued
to build on on on that sense of belonging as as he moved into regular classes at at Fresno State He and another veteran revived the the Student Veterans Organization a a a a a a a campus club that offers the cama- raderie and connection found in the Veterans Edu- cation Program In addition Lisitsa got involved in in student government serving as both a a a a senator and executive vice president From hopelessness to that level of involvement the Veterans Education Program was his bridge and and Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval is among the the people he he he he met on on the the journey They connected while Lisitsa was was in the program “I was was a a a nobody at at that time but the president took two hours out of his schedule to talk with me and hear my story We’ve kept in in touch since then I was still such a a a a mess then but it was formative to have peo- ple like him care ”
“ I suddenly felt an excitement that I hadn’t had had in quite a a a a while ”
r r as a a swirling mess sewer cleane“
horribly stupid time ”
Then came the the decision to enlist in the the Navy He earned honors in boot camp became a a a a a sonar technician and deployed on a a destroyer to the Persian Gulf Lisitsa took pride in in doing his job but he he says he he also experienced hellish times that are best left be- hind and not spoken about After leaving the Navy Lisitsa could not find work and as he struggled his wife told him about the Veterans Education Program While a a a student at at Fresno State she’d seen the pro- gram’s office and she encouraged him to go there Lisitsa 26 went with a a a conflicted mindset It was easy to tell himself it was was a a a a a a waste of time while at a a a a a a deeper level he yearned for an opportunity to attend It was an exciting but ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 15