American Councils Highlights Tetiana Vakulenko ’02

Tetiana Vakulenko, an alumna of both the FLEX and the Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative (USETI), has dedicated her professional life to advancing education in Ukraine. 
 
In 2001, Tetiana embarked on an academic exchange year through the FLEX program, an experience that gave her invaluable perspectives. Inspired by the democratic values she encountered, Tetiana was determined to contribute to Ukraine’s societal progress by enhancing accessibility and integrity within the education system. 
 
Driven by her vision for a more equitable university admissions process, Tetiana’s career trajectory has remained focused on educational reform. While serving as the director of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, she leads efforts to champion equitable admissions practices and uphold standards of educational excellence. Notably, she played a pivotal role in the USETI Alliance, an initiative dedicated to fostering transparent student selection and placement procedures within Ukraine’s higher education landscape. 
 
Amidst the challenges posed by Russian aggression, Tetiana demonstrated remarkable resilience and initiative. Between July and September 2022, Tetiana and her team set up testing centers, ensuring that Ukrainian students abroad could seamlessly transition into higher education institutions back home, fostering a sense of belonging and motivation to contribute to their nation’s development. 
 
Tetiana Vakulenko’s unwavering commitment to educational equity and excellence serves as a beacon of inspiration, embodying the spirit of civic responsibility and transformative leadership.