Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Valeria Novikova was only seven years old when her family fled to the United States in 2015. Recognizing the warning signs of rising political tensions with Russia years before the full-scale invasion, her father made a difficult decision. “My family could see where it was heading, and my dad made the decision to get out of there before things went bad,” Valeria recalls.
Though she initially struggled with the language barrier and adapting to a new culture, her family gradually rebuilt their lives. Her father, a talented artist, established a successful tattoo shop in Hollywood, but chose Moorpark as the ideal place to raise the family. “Looking back on it now and looking at what is happening in Ukraine right now, I feel they made the right call,” Valeria says. “I am in a better position than I would have been if we had stayed.”
Upon entering Moorpark High School, Valeria immediately challenged herself by enrolling in Advanced Placement courses as a freshman. But when the war in Ukraine escalated, her home quickly transformed. Her family opened their doors to Ukrainian refugees, hosting 11 people under one roof. Among them was her high-school-aged cousin, who spoke little English.
Determined to help her cousin, who was struggling with a chemistry class, Valeria didn’t back down. She taught herself chemistry by watching YouTube tutorials so she could translate and teach the material.
Valeria’s academic excellence is even more remarkable given the health battles she faced. During her junior year, she developed an illness involving debilitating body and chest pain, which forced her into remote learning for most of the school year. Despite being away from campus and dealing with intense medical anxiety, she returned just a week before AP exams and excelled.
Valeria’s experiences as an immigrant from Ukraine are shaping her career aspirations as she prepares to attend UC Berkeley in the fall. Witnessing the nuclear threat hovering over her homeland sparked a passion for global defense. She plans to major in nuclear engineering and eventually earn a PhD to specialize in nuclear disarmament. “Because right now, there’s nothing we can do as a society to stop nuclear war from happening,” she said. “Our only counterweapon is dropping more nukes. So, I think that will be a very interesting and a useful field.”
Valeria is quick to credit Moorpark High counselor Nancy Anaya for helping her navigate these tumultuous years. “I knew that no matter where I was in my life, I could always come to her and she would be there for me,” she says. “She’s just been fantastic throughout my four years.”
As she looks toward a bright future in academia, Valeria offers a message of hope to fellow students facing their own trials: “If anyone is going through a hard time, I have been there. It does not last forever. While you are in the thick of it, it feels like nothing is ever going to get better. But it does.”