Nicholas Kushchenko

Westmont College, Paly Class of 2022

What is your major/what are you interested in studying?
Psychology and I might switch into kinesiology or physical therapy. I might double major so that I have a physical and mental grasp on therapy.

What is one of your favorite subjects/classes this term? Why?
Survey of Western Music since we as a class get to listen to classical music and analyze all the components of it.

What has been the best part about going to college?
So far the best part is getting to know the professors and the environment, since I really like to get accustomed to everything.

Has RTE made a difference in your decision to pursue a college degree? If so, how?
RTE definitely closed the gap for finance so that definitely helped. I feel the RTE mentorship is a really important part here. John, who was my mentor, really helped me create a path for me. I already knew my path, but he was really specific and he had variety. He gave me pathways, like what I wanted to pursue. He also gave me a syllabus, like a guide for college.

Did any adults help/support you in the process of getting to college? How?
Yes, everyone by a small little bit, but it would take hours to say every single name.
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Did RTE make a difference in helping you decide your post-Paly plans? How?
John guided me verbally, and asked me to give him all the information that I had. He asked questions and he wrote everything down on paper. We’d meet at Pete’s Coffee, and he wrote down everything, asking “have you done this”, “what do you want to do”, and also telling me what I should do and shouldn’t do. He also gave me a guideline for how to be successful in college, which was incredibly impactful.

Do you have an idea of what you want to do after college?
I’d like to go into physical therapy and maybe be a therapist. I’d love to be a psychiatrist but med school takes a lot of time, so I might pursue different paths.

What project are you working on helping kids in Ukraine?
There’s a website that is still being made. But every summer I travel to Ukraine and go to these summer orphan camps, where there’s underprivileged kids from war zones, orphans, low-income, and we go there and help teach English. That’s what we did for the first five years. Sadly we didn’t this summer, because of the Ukrainian wars. Before though, we went overseas and started integrating leadership through English — we teach leadership skills that they’re going to use in their lifetime, things that they’ll hopefully use in their future. We know that their physical needs are met, because they have shelter and food, but their emotional needs aren’t necessarily taken care of.

Are you the program director, or do you travel with a group of students?
I’m pretty much just traveling there with a group of students. My mom made the organization and I travel with her every summer. It’s also a non-profit.

Do you think this made an impact on your college application?
Yes, I think this made an impact in my college application. When a college sees the work I do, it’s an advantage over other students, not only due to communication but also because it shows leadership and cooperation.

Is there anything you want to say to RTE scholars applying for a scholarship this year?
To RTE scholars, you should absolutely utilize the mentor resource. You might think initially it might not help, and even though it might not help in the beginning, it will. Even though I'm just starting off, I know that I will use what I've learned in the future.