Nikol Rodik

Ukraine will always be a part of me. It is where my story began, where my family’s roots are, and where so many of my childhood memories come from. When the war began in 2022, it became impossible for me to see what was happening as something distant or unrelated to my own life. I wanted to do something that would make a difference, especially for children whose lives had been changed by a war they never chose.

Joining Boca Helps Ukraine gave me a way to turn that feeling into action. I realized that even though I could not change everything that was happening, I could help change something for someone. I could bring people together, encourage other students to get involved, and help create opportunities for Ukrainian children who needed support.

This experience has changed the way I understand leadership. I used to think of leadership mainly in terms of taking initiative and making things happen. Now I see it as a responsibility to recognize when someone needs help and to ask what I can do about it. I cannot solve every problem, but I can choose not to look away. That is what continues to motivate me.

One of the most meaningful projects I helped launch through Boca Helps Ukraine began with a simple idea: asking students at my school to write cards of support for Ukrainian children. I explained that the cards would be sent to Ukraine with humanitarian aid and read by children who had lost their homes and whose schools had been destroyed by the war. I wanted my classmates to understand that, even from thousands of miles away, they could remind these children that people cared about them.

The response was incredible. Students came forward to participate, and during our first project, we sent approximately 1,000 cards to Ukraine.

But what happened next is something I will never forget.

Ukrainian volunteers began sending me photos and videos of the children receiving and responding to the cards. I remember watching them with tears in my eyes. Some children started learning English so they could record thank-you videos and write back to the students in America. Their messages touched my heart in ways I had not expected.

One child shared that knowing someone cared helped them sleep better because they no longer felt alone. Another carried their card like a small protective charm. Others were moved by the realization that, even across an ocean, children in America were thinking about them and caring about what they were going through.

I had started with the hope that a simple handwritten message might brighten someone's day. Seeing those responses made me realize that it had become something much more meaningful. The cards could not bring back a child's home or restore the school they had lost, but they could offer a reminder that the world had not forgotten them.

That experience changed the way I think about leadership. I learned that an idea does not have to be complicated or expensive to matter. Sometimes, it begins with asking people to do something small and helping them understand why it matters. When people come together with genuine care, even a simple gesture can reach someone in a way you never imagined.

For me, that is what humanitarian work is about: not assuming we can fix everything, but choosing to do what we can—and remembering the real people on the other side of every effort.

My experiences in business have taught me that behind every transaction, project, or service, there is a person with a need, an expectation, or sometimes a problem they do not know how to solve.

Working in automotive sales has given me the opportunity to communicate with customers, navigate challenging situations, and help coordinate solutions. Through independent work and my involvement in developing a family-events startup Crowdfun.app, I have also learned how much effort goes into turning an idea into something that people can actually use and value.

These experiences have shown me that trust is built in small moments. It is built when you listen instead of making assumptions, when you take someone's concerns seriously, and when you follow through on what you promised. I have learned that the way you treat people matters just as much as the result you are trying to achieve.

I also enjoy the challenge of bringing different people and ideas together. Sometimes the solution is not immediately obvious, and you have to be willing to ask questions, adapt, and try a different approach. Business has helped me become more comfortable with responsibility and uncertainty, and it has made me curious about how organizations can bring out the best in the people who make them work.

Sports have taught me that growth rarely happens all at once. It comes from showing up, putting in the work, accepting feedback, and continuing even when progress feels slow. Competing has also taught me that you cannot control every outcome, but you can control how prepared you are, how you respond to setbacks, and how much effort you bring to the next opportunity.

Working with children at YMCA Camp Mason has taught me another side of responsibility. When a child depends on you, being responsible is not just about completing a task. It means paying attention, using good judgment, and understanding that your actions can affect someone else's sense of safety and confidence.

I have learned that people do not all need the same kind of encouragement. Some need someone to challenge them; others need patience, reassurance, or simply someone who listens. Learning to recognize those differences has influenced how I approach teamwork and leadership.

Both sports and working with children have helped me understand that strength is not always about being the loudest person or the one who receives the most recognition. Sometimes it is about staying dependable when things become difficult and helping others believe they can keep going, too.

Across humanitarian work, business, athletics, and working with children, I keep coming back to the same question: What helps people feel supported, discover their potential, and succeed together?

I have seen how much can happen when people believe in a shared purpose. I have also learned that bringing people together takes more than enthusiasm. It requires listening, understanding different perspectives, building trust, and creating an environment where people feel that their contributions matter.

That is what draws me to Human Resource Management. I want to understand how organizations find and develop talent, build effective teams, resolve conflicts, and create opportunities for people to grow. I am interested in the human side of organizations: how individual strengths can come together to achieve something greater than any one person could accomplish alone.

In the future, I hope to help build workplaces and organizations where people feel respected, supported, and able to reach their potential. My experiences have shown me that success is not only about what an organization achieves, but also about how it treats the people who make that success possible.

I want to build a career that allows me to combine thoughtful leadership with a genuine commitment to people. If my experiences have taught me anything, it is that one opportunity, one supportive person, or one decision to take action can make a difference in someone's life. I hope to spend my future creating more of those opportunities for others.