Valentyn Panchenko

Valentyn Panchenko came to Cleveland from Ukraine last summer with his wife and two children. Through a sponsor, Valentyn and his family settled in Maple Heights and were ready to embrace the American experience, but he needed to find work. That’s when Global Cleveland Board Member and Mayor of Maple Heights Annette Blackwell stepped up.

Mayor Blackwell is a champion for all her residents and understands the value of embracing newcomers. She was invested in keeping Valentyn and his family in Maple Heights and fought for his belonging. With the Mayor’s help and full support, Valentyn now works for the city and provides for his family.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who was involved in my public service application process. [Mayor Blackwell]’s help has given me the opportunity to become a part of American society, for which I am eternally grateful. I am happy”.

Natalia Penko

Natalia Penko was an English teacher in Ukraine before resettling in Parma last year. She knew she needed work but wasn’t sure where to get started. Thanks to a connection from Global Cleveland, Natalia was able to find the perfect job for her skillset and her experience as a newcomer.

Natalia has been working as an ESL teacher and tutor at the Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights since last fall, starting her employment less than a month after arriving in Northeast Ohio. Her position allows her to support newly arrived Ukrainian students who need help easing into an English-speaking school.

"I'm so happy to be working as a teacher in the United States, just as I did in Ukraine. Thank you to Global Cleveland and Zachary for helping me find work so quickly! I'm glad to continue working in my field and to help children here learn English, just like I did back home."

Ihor Kinal

Ihor Kinal came to Cleveland in June 2024, shortly after his third child was born. Ihor worked as an Anesthesiologist in Ukraine, but prior to reaching out to Global Cleveland he was employed as a maintenance worker at a local apartment complex in Parma. Ihor was grateful to have a job, but he wanted to work in his field as he pursues his license in the U.S.

With the help of Global Cleveland, Ihor discovered that his job applications at hospitals were being filtered out due to a misunderstanding of his license status in the U.S. Once the problem was corrected, Ihor was immediately invited to interview and has been working at the Cleveland Clinic since September.

“Thanks to Global Cleveland, I can continue my journey to become a licensed Doctor of Anesthesiology in the United States. It will be a lot of work, but I am committed to bringing my skills to the Cleveland Clinic at my full capacity. Being an Anesthesia Technician allows me to stay current with my skills, learn everything there is to know about the American medical system, and prepare to take my licensing exams.”

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