yuliya shcherban.
Height: 5’10
Hometown: Lloydminster, SK
Languages: English, Ukrainian
Occupation: Student at University of Toronto (Rotman Commerce program)
Yuliya is a Ukrainian-Canadian who is proud to call Canada her home for the past 15 years. Dedicated to her studies, Yuliya excelled as a student, graduating high school at the top of her class, receiving the Governor General’s Academic Medal, and attaining an SAT score in the top 1% of students worldwide. Currently in her final year of undergraduate studies, she is completing a Finance and Economics specialist at Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto, where she is a U of T Scholar and has made it to the Dean’s List. Furthermore, she completed an exchange program in one of the world’s leading universities for business and management, Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.
Despite her success, Yuliya has experienced setbacks along her academic journey. In high school, she was rejected from a university course offered to final year high school students because she did not meet the minimum age requirement. Nevertheless, this obstacle motivated her to study the material independently and ultimately write an introductory business course for students at her high school instead. In her university classrooms today, Yuliya can feel the underrepresentation of women in her male-dominated field. Her Footsteps is a project Yuliya began in order to learn from and share the inspiring stories of exceptional female entrepreneurs, leaders, and role models that she admires. By sharing the journeys of these women, Yuliya hopes other women will gain courage and inspiration to pursue their goals as well.
As an energetic child growing up in the cold Canadian winters, Yuliya devoted her time away from her studies to training as a competitive figure skater. Her accomplishments in the sport include being awarded the Quadruple Gold Achievement Award from the Alberta Figure Skating Foundation and finishing on the podium at the Alberta/NUN/NWT StarSkate Championships in the Gold Freeskate event. Inspired by her coach, Yuliya has become a certified Skate Canada coach herself and works with children on and off the ice when she is not in the classroom. She strives to not only teach skating techniques but also to pass on valuable life skills such as perseverance and instill a love for the sport that the children will carry with them throughout their lives. Yuliya strongly believes in the importance of finding some form of physical activity one enjoys in order to keep not only the body healthy, but also the mind.
As an athlete, Yuliya understands that fueling the body with proper nutrition is imperative. Yuliya’s CookBook is an Instagram account Yuliya created to utilize her love for cooking and photography to give nutrition tips and encourage healthy eating. Her YouTube channel is another creative outlet through which she shares content on taking care of one’s health and wellbeing.
Grateful for all the opportunities Canada has granted her, Yuliya wanted to give back and impact the community that raised her. Throughout high school, she was a member of the School Leadership Council and the Lloydminster Youth Council. In 2017, Yuliya and four of her friends founded the Beba Project, a charitable initiative helping mothers with infants in need in her local community. By operating coffee shops across schools in her hometown, Yuliya and the Beba
Project raised over $4,000 for diapers and baby supplies for infants in the local community within the first year alone, and the Beba Project continues in Yuliya’s high school to this day.
As much as she is proud to be a Canadian, Yuliya also honours her cultural roots as a Ukrainian. She won the title of Miss Ukrainian Canada 2018 in a competition celebrating Ukrainian culture, arts, talent, and beauty. She also delivered a speech at a Pecha Kucha event, narrating her personal challenges of growing up as an immigrant and her journey towards embracing her ethnic background. As a result of her dedication to her heritage, Yuliya has appeared as the cover model for the Chicago-based Ukrainian People magazine in 2018, her first magazine cover feature. As a professional model, she has also walked at fashion shows and has most recently been published in the Winter 2022 edition of Chaarmz magazine.
Competing for Miss Universe Canada, Yuliya will lead by example and use her skills and passion to inspire young women to prioritize taking care of their physical and mental health through nutrition and physical activity. As an advocate for education and women empowerment, she also wishes to continue uplifting and sharing the stories of other inspiring women and the message that women are strong, intelligent, and capable.
What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My studies have always been a fundamental focus in my life. However, as I’ve matured, I have realized that formal education is not the only type of learning that is important. Self-education, which is just as essential, led me to discover so many of my current interests: cooking, photography, and making videos.
Since childhood, I have also loved to figure skate and as a competitive athlete, I learned the importance of nutrition and discovered my love for cooking wholesome meals. Combining this with my interest in photography, I created an Instagram account where I share creative food photography to inspire healthy eating. I also enjoy making videos, and have started a YouTube channel where I share content related to wellness.
List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)
While preparing to give a speech at Pecha Kucha, a storytelling format public speaking event, I challenged myself to develop as a public speaker. Recounting the challenges of growing up in a new country and my journey towards being proud of my cultural roots, I delivered a heartfelt speech containing my personal anecdotes and experiences as an immigrant. This experience was exceptional training for my skills as a public speaker and storyteller.
In what sports, if any, have you participated?
Except for never having any luck with a soccer ball, I have participated in almost every sport I could join as a child including track-and-field, cross-country running, volleyball, basketball, badminton, dance, and gymnastics. Now as an adult, I love to practice yoga because it also calms my mind, unlike other sports.
However, none of these activities have ever been more satisfying than putting on my skates and gliding across the ice. After 15 years in figure skating, it is still my favourite thing to do and a sport that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?
It is incredible what we can accomplish when we have someone who believes in our potential. For me, that person was my figure skating coach. She saw my clear determination in the sport and pushed me in the direction of my goals. She also inspired me to become a figure skating coach myself; I hope to positively impact the lives of young athletes the same way my coach impacted mine.
What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?
Taking the Beba Project from an idea to reality with four friends at 16 years old is one of my proudest personal accomplishments. This charitable continues to run in my high school, raising funds for babies in need of support in my community. Most importantly, my friends and I were able to find a fun and creative way to raise the funds: we ran coffee shops across schools in my hometown.
What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?
Proud to be both a Ukrainian as well as a Canadian, I believe the combination of my two cultural identities is what makes me unique. In honour of my background as a Ukrainian, I competed in and won the title of Miss Ukrainian Canada in 2018. Now, it is time to represent my identity as a Canadian and compete for Miss Universe Canada.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
From an early age, I have wanted to learn about entrepreneurship, economics, and finance. In high school, I wrote an introductory business course for students at my high school because I was unable to take a similar course at university.
The knowledge, skills, and experience that I continue to acquire throughout my studies in finance and economics at the University of Toronto give me the confidence I need to pursue my career goal, which is to ultimately be an entrepreneur. I would like to lead a company that employs other exceptional women and has a lasting impact in the world.
What would be your “dream job” in life?
My dream job is one that requires me to keep learning, allows me to use my creativity, and empowers me to make the decisions. Ideally, I would love to build a career that gives me the flexibility to travel while I work and the opportunity to meet and interact with people I admire.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
As an energetic and curious child, I could be found chasing after chickens on my grandmother’s farm or climbing over fences in search of a new place to explore. Born and raised in Ukraine, my family and I immigrated to Canada when I was six years old. However, my summer holidays were always spent with my family in Ukraine, allowing me to experience a completely different life from that in Canada and shaping my unique perspective from an early age. Traveling between these two countries throughout my childhood instilled in me a love for my heritage, but also a deep appreciation for the new country I was fortunate to call my home, Canada.
List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
The most interesting and fulfilling job I have had is my current one, coaching young figure skaters as a Skate Canada coach. I truly enjoy coaching and guiding the athletic development of children who have the same love for the sport as I do.
List any volunteering you have done.
- Beba Project (I co-founded a charitable project to raise diaper and baby supply donations for infants in my community by operating a little coffee shop across schools in Lloydminster.)
- Fundraiser for low-income children and orphans in Ukraine
- Lloydminster Youth Council (As a member, I helped organize fun and safe events for youth and was a part of our #paintthetownpositive campaign in which we promoted acts of kindness)
- Anthony’s Church Food Bank – Lloydminster
- School Leadership Council: member
- Ukrainian Catholic Church
- Lloydminster Skating Club
- Father Gorman Community School
What is your most unusual talent?
I never thought I was skilled at reciting poems until I participated in the international competition, Taras Shevchenko Unites Nations, and was the 2nd place winner. The competition consisted of over 100 contestants reciting poems in over 20 different languages. I recited the English translation of a poem written by an acclaimed Ukrainian writer, poet, and artist.
Where is the most interesting place you have been to?
Although I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to many countries, Canada is my favorite country to explore. Having lived in Canada for the past 15 years, I have been able to see countless beautiful landscapes: Niagara Falls, the beautiful Northern Lights, towering skyscrapers in Toronto, peaceful prairies in Saskatchewan, and the Rocky Mountains and blue lakes of Alberta. And there is still an abundance of places I have yet to discover; Quebec is at the top of my list.
What do you hope to be doing in ten years?
My hope is that in ten years I can look back at my 20s and confidently say I took full advantage of each opportunity I had and did meaningful work that fulfilled me.
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?
I arrived in Canada as an immigrant with my family. Therefore, to me becoming Miss Universe Canada means representing a culturally diverse nation that has welcomed families like mine. This country has given me countless opportunities, including access to a quality education, the ability to become a figure skater and coach, and the possibility to compete for Miss Universe Canada. My goal is to fully utilize each opportunity Canada has given me because, to me, being Miss Universe Canada means being a representation of all the wonderful things this country offers.
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Lun Mayo 09, 2022 9:50 pm