OUR TEAM

Nellie Fouksman is a Ukrainian American youth organizer, writer, and advocate for cross-cultural connection. A high school student based in San Francisco, Nellie co-founded Slavic Voice for Ukraine with a vision of creating a space where Slavic youth around the world could speak freely and be heard widely.

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Leah Mordehai is a Ukrainian American writer, youth journalist, and advocate for cultural justice. A high school student based in San Francisco, Leah co-founded Slavic Voice for Ukraine to create a home for Slavic stories often overlooked in Western media—and to build bridges between diaspora communities through language, memory, and truth-telling.

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Cedar Wara is a non-binary high school student who splits their time between the mountains, the ocean, and the stage. They’re the Director of Communications and the Director of Human Resources for Dolphin Defenders, where they amplify youth-led conservation work, and a lighting designer and master rigger, bringing stories to life.

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Emily Gorodetskiy is the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Slavic Voice for Ukraine, where she leads efforts to elevate the political engagement and civic awareness of Slavic communities. A dedicated senior at Lowell High School, Emily brings a strong background in voting rights, democracy, and public policy. Emily has worked to increase civic participation across San Francisco. 

Vick Volovnyk is a Ukrainian American youth interdisciplinary researcher, civic advocate, writer and leader. A high school student based in New York City, Vick joined Slavic Voice for Ukraine after meeting the founding duo through Civic Unplugged’s Civic Innovators Fellowship, aiming to help the organization grow and connect Slavic peoples across the globe.​

Raised in the US, Tonya Maximova is a Russian Ukrainian youth leader, writer, and advocate for global connection. She co-founded the Slavic Student Association at her high school in San Jose in hopes of creating spaces where Slavic youth can share stories, celebrate identity, and strengthen connections.

Shira Avidan is a senior at Don Soffer Aventura High School in Aventura, Florida. She has a passion for cross-cultural exchange and learning languages, having mentored Ukrainian peers through ENGin and studied Russian through NSLI-Y.​

Anna is a senior at Edina High School in Minnesota. Her  mother is Russian, and  Russian culture has always been very important to her. Raising awareness in the US and fostering connections between Slavic people is very important to her. This past summer, she studied abroad in Latvia with NSLI-Y and was able to connect a lot more to Russian culture.

Thomas Haws leads outreach, advocacy, and partnership initiatives to strengthen support for Ukraine and amplify Eastern European voices. He is dedicated to advancing youth engagement in international affairs and human rights. He has spearheaded regional campaigns and coordinated collaborations with community organizations.​​​

Danica is a senior at Dakota Valley High School. She is passionate about learning languages and new cultures and is hoping to work in National Security. She studied Russian in Latvia through NSLI-Y and hopes to learn some new languages soon!​​

Hi guys, I’m Raphael Capangpangan, the Slavic Voice regional director for the state of New Jersey! Although I do not have heritage hailing from the Slavic nations, I find it important to be literate and educated about the history and news going on in region. Beyond the Slavic Voice, I do a lot of advocacy and education in the LGBTQ+ youth sector, interning for my state’s department of education, 

Hi everyone, I am a junior at Red Bank Catholic from Central New Jersey. I am a first generation Ukrainian-American in the United States. Within the Ukrainian community, I am in professional Ukrainian dance ensembles Yunist and Syzokryli. Throughout the Ukrainian community, I've graduated from St. Andrew's Ukrainian School, was apart of CYM, and attend the ACU National Ukrainian Summit in Washington D.C.

Daniel Troshin is a student-athlete at Saint Ignatius College Preparatory with a strong passion for finance, economics, and community leadership. A first-generation Russian speaker, he joined Slavic Voic to help unite European communities across the Bay Area. As founder and president of the SI Investing Club and a member of the SF Junior Economic Club, he applies his financial expertise to strengthen Slavic Voice.