Bohdan Kolos for New Pathway, Toronto.
When a friend asks you to take care of things, you do it, even when that friend is 30 years older than you.
Wolodymyr Kuz was a mentor, educator and life coach, who valued learning, appreciated the printed word, and loved his native Ukraine. Just before he passed away in 1993, Pan Kuz, as he was known to many, asked Vera Malanczyj and me to take care of a small sum of money, which he wanted to be used for setting up modest stipends for students in Ukraine, and for other small projects. The resultant stipends are now in their twentieth year.
My wife and I, along with our three sons, spent the 1995/96 school year in western Ukraine. One of our assignments was to contact a few post-secondary institutions that would agree to the specific terms of our stipends. Pan Kuz had always been interested in the underdog, the little guy, individuals that others might ignore because they were not a sure thing. Pan Kuz was known to look at a person, see their potential, and work with them to achieve impressive results.
Initially, we signed stipend agreements with the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture, the Lviv Academy of Art, and the Ostroh Academy. For many students, it was not really the amount of money that was important, but the recognition they received for their efforts.
These institutions had agreed to a few terms, such as introducing us to the stipend recipients who were to be academically strong, or were gifted-talented in their chosen pursuits. These were to be individuals who had also chosen a healthy life style, knew and used the Ukrainian language, and participated in community endeavors.
One of us, the Canadian directors of the stipends, would arrive each year in Ukraine to have the opportunity to speak with the faculty and students, and to make the presentation of awards. We currently deal with seven institutions of learning, including universities, institutes, and the village school in Prysivtsi where Pan Kuz grew up. Each student that receives a scholarship is presented with an award certificate and some money.
Although Wolodymyr Kuz grew up in a small village in western Ukraine, he went on to finish law in Lviv. As the eldest of six siblings he was responsible for his parents, and ultimately arrived in Canada after World War Two. Without a close family, Pan Kuz became a community activist in a variety of supportive roles. He spent time with PLAST members, specifically as a volleyball coach, and his team won a Canada wide championship. In PLAST he was also a volunteer manager-administrator, helped at camps, and was an athletic trainer. He taught history at the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Saturday School, preparing students for Matura. Initially, after arriving in Canada, Pan Kuz worked in a factory, but at the urging of young people in PLAST he returned to university in Ottawa, completed his studies and became a librarian.
After retirement, he continued to teach in Ukrainian schools, worked as an editor for Novyi Shliakh (New Pathway), and played a key role in obtaining and publishing Samvydav materials from Ukraine.
Pan Kuz wished his legacy to continue for some time after his passing. So it is heart-warming to see his financial assistance to young people in the form of educational stipends continuing these last twenty years. We will again be traveling to Ukraine this spring to fulfill our promise. That is the least we can do for a friend.
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