From Ukraine to Oklahoma: How One Refugee Student Found a Home at JPS

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He was forced to flee his homeland. He had to enter a new school in a foreign country and learn an unfamiliar language. He was starting over.

Eugene Lozov is one story. One of hundreds of students at Jenks Public Schools who arrived in America and immediately had to adapt. Like Eugene, the English language learners in our district are resilient. Every morning, they summon the courage to walk through the school doors and navigate another day while figuring out how to communicate and comprehend.

Thankfully, Eugene and students like him are not alone. There are teams of teachers at every school site who pour their whole heart and full energy into helping students learn and thrive. Teachers like Sandra Gruszeczka and Anna Sharp at West Intermediate. Through their compassion and the help of assistive technologies like Google Translate and Snap & Read, Eugene is seen and heard. He is understood and can understand. He’s not stuck in the back of a classroom watching and wondering. The tools and resources at his disposal have given him a voice. He is once again a participant in his own education.

It's not home, but it’s one step closer.