From Kyiv to Chicago: How One ENGin Match Changed Vita's Life
- ENGin Program
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
When Vita first stumbled across ENGin online, she wasn't even looking for it. She was searching for something else entirely when the program appeared on her screen. She almost scrolled past it until she realized her friend was already part of it.
"She wouldn't stop raving about how amazing it was," Vita recalls. "So I thought, why not give it a try? I'd been dreaming of practicing English with a native speaker for ages anyway."
That small, almost accidental decision would turn out to be one of the most significant of her life.
"Is My English Even Good Enough?"
Like many Ukrainian students who consider joining ENGin, Vita's first reaction was doubt. The idea of speaking live with an English-speaking volunteer felt exciting in theory and terrifying in practice.
"My brain went into full panic mode," she says. "Is my English even good enough? What if I completely mess up the interview? What if they say no?"
But Vita has a personal rule she lives by: freak out, overthink everything — and then do it anyway. She applied, passed the interview, and waited for her match.
Then came a second wave of panic.
"I was on my way to my mom's place when I checked my phone, and my heart just dropped," she laughs. "I turned to her and said, 'Mom, my volunteer is a guy from America!'"
Her brain immediately started spiraling: what if they wouldn't connect? What if every conversation were painfully awkward? It was already nerve-wracking enough to speak with a native speaker, and now it was also a stranger from across the ocean.
Her mom smiled. "It's gonna be fine. Just wait and see."
She was, of course, absolutely right.
An ENGin Volunteer Who Became a Friend
From their very first session, Andrew — Vita's ENGin volunteer from the United States — made sure she felt at ease. He came prepared with interesting topics, thoughtful materials, and a way of engaging that made Vita forget to be nervous.
"He never made me feel bad for making mistakes," she says. "Instead, he encouraged me, made learning fun, and, most importantly, became a great friend."
Over the course of a year, their weekly conversations evolved into something neither of them had expected at the outset: a genuine, lasting friendship. They talked about life, culture, and everything in between. When Vita was navigating complex English-language documents as part of her plans to move abroad, working through them together became a natural extension of their English practice sessions.
"After about a year of talking, he helped me understand my documents so I could move to the U.S.," Vita says. "I can't believe I now live in the same city he once showed me in pictures."
From Dreaming About Chicago to Living There
Today, Vita has been living in Chicago for nine months. She works in the U.S., navigates daily American life with ease, and feels at home in a city that once existed only in Andrew's photographs.
"What once seemed impossible is now just my daily life," she says.
Her friendship with Andrew didn't fade once she arrived — it deepened. They've spent holidays together, traveled, and built memories that go far beyond anything a language exchange program could have promised. His family welcomed her warmly, and that support has continued ever since.
"His support didn't stop at language practice," Vita says. "He and his family welcomed me with open arms, and I will always be grateful for that."
What ENGin Really Gives You
Vita's story is extraordinary, but the thread running through it is something ENGin students describe again and again: the unexpected depth of the connections formed through the program.
"At first, all I wanted was to practice English," she reflects. "But somehow, that one small decision turned into something so much bigger than I could've ever imagined. Would I have ever thought that joining ENGin would lead to me moving to America? Not in a million years."
For Vita, ENGin was never just about grammar or vocabulary. It was about showing up, being a little brave, and letting a real human connection take root.
"You guys aren't just helping people improve their English," she says. "You're helping them make real connections, find amazing friends, and, in some cases, completely change their lives."
ENGin matches Ukrainian students with English-speaking volunteers for online weekly conversation practice. ENGin volunteers provide English conversation support only and do not offer financial assistance or immigration support. In Vita's case, working through English-language documents together was a natural part of her and Andrew's regular practice sessions.
Want to join ENGin as a student or volunteer? Learn more and apply at enginprogram.org.
