Two years ago, Taisiia Korenska, a native of Ukraine, arrived in Ireland with limited English proficiency. In the wake of her exemplary performance in her Leaving Certificate, where she obtained a perfect score of 625, she has now gained acceptance into her desired programme at Dublin City University (DCU). Taisiia, who studied at Castlecomer Community School in County Kilkenny, attributes her success not merely to her diligence but also to her enjoyment of learning, which she considers a favourite pastime.
Popularly known as Taya in Castlecomer, she received H1 grades in Maths, Russian, Physics, Engineering, Biology, and Design and Communication Graphics, along with a H5 in higher level English. She intends to pursue Biomedical Engineering at DCU.
In June of 2022, Taisiia along with her mother Olena, moved to Ireland, leaving behind her father Yaroslav and older brother Oleksey. They settled in the rural outskirts of Castlecomer, a stark contrast to her home city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine. Originally, her knowledge of Ireland was confined to stereotypes – red heads, mythical leprechauns, and pots of gold at the end of rainbows. However, the serenity of rural Ireland provided a favourable environment for her adjustment. Despite her initial struggle with English, she joined Castlecomer Community School and received a warm welcome.
Taisiia recalls the consideration of her institution, which provided her with complimentary books and uniform despite her financial limitations. She developed an instant fondness for her educators and gradually adjusted to her fellow students, establishing a close-knit circle of supportive friends.
Back in Dnipro, she attended an exclusive secondary school, with rigorous admission exams and continuous stellar performance required to maintain enrolment.
Quoting from her, schools in Ukraine are stricter and the students comparatively less conversational and more disciplined in contrast to Castlecomer where students are more at ease. She suggested that the pupils in Ukraine were dedicated and overly anxious, often too preoccupied to have a relaxed interaction. The learning environment in Ukraine fostered her dedication to hard work. However, she also attributes her drive and vitality to her mother, who is employed at a hospital in Kilkenny. She explained her mother’s character using the expression, ‘like mother, like daughter’.
After receiving her results, she’s had communication with her father, who showered her with accolades. Her father was doubly glad, firstly due to her exceptional scores and secondly because she had excelled in English, which to her was a third language after Ukrainian and Russian. She managed this feat upon her arrival in this new country, which amplified her father’s pride even more.