God is Good, All the Time
Learning resilience from a young age, freshman Markiyan Uruskyy and his family fled Lviv, Ukraine hours after the ongoing crisis with Russia erupted on February 24, 2022. One of four boys, Uruskyy was just 16 when his life changed forever. Uruskyy distinctly remembers praying that God would protect his family the night before waking up to news the war started. “My family and I were in shock…checking our phones in disbelief. It was hard to grasp, even though we knew a conflict was coming, we kept praying for peace,” he said.
Anticipating a skyrocketing demand for food, the first action the family took was to get groceries. As they made their way throughout their city, chaos ensued. “People were panicking, buying food and supplies, exchanging currency and trying to get medication,” Uruskyy said. Despite their desire to remain devoted to their country, the situation rapidly worsened before their eyes. As military planes soared overhead, the Uruskyy family made the decision to leave their home and head to the border of Poland.
After driving for two hours, traffic bottlenecked and the family began a tumultuous three-day waiting game as they painstakingly inched their way toward the border. What followed was nothing short of divine intervention in a series of events that allowed the family to stay together despite the Ukranian government’s ruling that men over 18 couldn’t leave the country. As the Uruskyy’s observed countless families become separated and denied access to a new life outside Ukraine, miraculously, Markiyan’s older brother and father were allowed to remain united with their family and cross the border. A brief stay in Poland followed by a stop in Frankfurt, Germany eventually led to their entry in the United States through Tijuana. The Uruskyy family later made their way to Placer County to reside with relatives.
Uruskyy found himself adjusting to life in Roseville, perfecting his English, working hard on his studies and earning a spot on Oakmont High School’s men’s volleyball team. His six-foot-three frame made volleyball a likely fit, despite never playing the game before. “I’m mostly self taught because I played so much with my church,” he said.
After graduating high school, Uruskyy knew he wanted to continue his education to pursue nursing. “In Ukraine, I was a lifeguard and helped someone who had a near death experience,” he recalled. “That made me realize I want to be someone who can help in an emergency situation.”
Accepting Christ early in life, Uruskyy’s faith is first and foremost. “My life is definitely Christ-centered, so I knew if I went to college, it had to be a Christian school,” he said. Despite his recruitment from Arizona University to play volleyball, he ultimately chose Jessup. “I wanted to come to Jessup so badly, but I didn’t know how I could make it work financially. When I learned about and applied for various scholarships, I was thrilled.”
As the recipient of academic, athletic, refugee and other scholarships, Uruskyy’s desire to attend Jessup became reality. “On the first day of school, I was standing here crying because of how good God has been to me.” Uruskyy juggles a full schedule, balancing his role in student leadership as a commuter representative, two part-time jobs and rigorous nursing coursework in addition to being a student-athlete.
With the inaugural start of men’s volleyball at Jessup, Uruskyy is honored to be part of the team. “Coach Steele is amazing and has taught me so much already,” he said. As a left-hander, he’s an opposite hitter working to perfect his approach and jump with a goal to be the best player he can be. “All of this doesn’t seem like work because everything is such a blessing,” he said. “God protected my mental state and helped me become a better person through all the difficulties I’ve been through. I believe I have to work hard to do the best with the life I’ve been given.”
