Sticking With His Path: Meet Dmytro Golovko
by Haley Moody ’22
In the midst of a global pandemic and a declaration of war on his home country, Dmytro Golovko, ’20, MBA ’22 admitted to having a difficult time balancing his many commitments alongside his
worries and concerns for his family and friends on the other side of the Atlantic
Ocean. “I missed my parents a lot,” he said. “But my wife, Kristen, helped me stay
on track.”
Dmytro grew up in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, where life in the big city was fast-paced
and offered a plethora of opportunities. “Everyone was trying to outperform others,
to be the best at something,” he said, fondly reflecting back on his childhood. A
memory that is particularly special to him is the time he spent playing for Ukraine
National Hockey Project in 8th and 9th grade. “Those two years were the best time.
Full of hockey, full of fun,” he said. Dmytro can’t help missing the excitement of
a large city; however, he appreciates the comfort and kindness the people of a small
town can provide.
Dmytro’s parents, brother, cat, and dog safely evacuated to the United States. “Unfortunately,
my mom’s parents are in Poland, and my dad’s mom is in Kyiv,” he said. “My mom’s parents
were unable to enter the United States because they do not have visas to enter. My
dad’s mom is too old and unable to take long trips; she is in the care of a nurse
that is currently staying with her. Most of my friends are still in Ukraine.”
The desire to pursue his degree, land a good job and stay in the United States motivated
Dmytro to finish his education at McKendree University. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics and finance with a minor in accounting within three and a half years, Dmytro started pursuing
a general MBA. Once the MBA program expanded into four different segments, he chose
to focus on the MBA in corporate finance. While exceling in his department, Dmytro was named one of this year’s Outstanding
MBA students.
In addition to his studies, Dmytro played on McKendree’s hockey team for a total of
six years where his personal growth was enriched by the many connections and opportunities
that surrounded him. He also coached skating, power skating, and hockey programs at
McKendree’s Metro Rec Plex. “I love hockey,” he said. “This activity helps me relax
and get away from day-to day stress.”
Dmytro, like any other college student, balanced school with extracurriculars and
a job among other things but managed to always push through even the most difficult
of circumstances. He would like to tell others: “No matter what is happening in your
life, you always need to know your path and stick with it.”
Dmytro would also like to say, “Slava Ukraini, Heroiam Slava!” in support of Ukraine.
“It’s not an empty journalistic or fanatical glorification of Ukraine as a place on
the world map. This is a military call, charged with the power of our ancestors. Therefore,
when we say ‘Slava Ukraini,’ we wish Ukraine victory in battle and when we say ‘Heroiam
Slava,’ we wish victory to living heroes as glorious participants in the war. Our
ancestors went into battle, shouting ‘Glory!’ and turning to the goddess of Glory
for help and good luck in battle. In our time, ‘Glory!’ is no longer directly related
to the goddess of Glory, but the essence remains. ’Slava Ukraini, Heroiam Slava!’
is a Ukrainian greeting and national slogan of the struggle for independence. It was
used in the early twentieth century in various variations. It became widespread among
Ukrainians during the Ukrainian Revolution (1918-1921) and became the slogan of Ukrainian
nationalists and fighters for Ukraine’s independence.”
