This article first appeared on Milive.com
Vlad Kozar’s high school experience has been drastically different than most kids.
A native of Ukraine, he and his mother fled the country nearly a year ago in an effort to get away from the ongoing war with Russia. In the process, the 16-year-old Kozar had to leave behind not only his home, but one of the most important people in his life: his father, who decided to stay and fight as a Ukrainian soldier.