ECC Student Selected as 2026 DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream

Elgin Community College (ECC) is proud to announce that student Bohdan Andrashko has been selected as a 2026 DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as engines of opportunity, belonging, and economic mobility.

Andrashko is one of just eight students selected through a highly competitive application process to participate in the DREAM Scholars program this year. The 2026 DREAM Scholars represent community colleges across the Achieving the Dream Network, including institutions across the United States — including Tribal Colleges and Universities and Gateway to College programs — and in South Africa.

As a DREAM Scholar, Andrashko will take part in an immersive leadership and learning experience at DREAM 2026, Achieving the Dream’s annual convening, to be held in March in Portland, Oregon. During the conference, the DREAM Scholars will engage with community college leaders from across the country and beyond, participate in leadership development opportunities, and attend sessions focused on student success and its role in economic mobility and community prosperity.

Each DREAM Scholar will also deliver an individual presentation at the conference, sharing their personal journey and offering insight into how their college supports student learning, completion, and opportunity. In addition, each 2026 DREAM Scholar receives a financial scholarship to support their educational or personal journey, along with access to leadership development, mentoring, and professional networks.

Andrashko’s journey spans five countries and years of starting over. After growing up in Ukraine and witnessing his family and community impacted by war, he rebuilt his life in the United States, ultimately enrolling at ECC in spring 2025 after spotting a college billboard along the highway. Community colleges do not exist in Europe, and he embraced the opportunity with urgency and purpose.

In just one year, Andrashko raised his math placement score in two weeks, earned a 4.0 GPA, completed 43 credits, and stepped into leadership roles as student government treasurer, engineering club member, student employee in the Office of Student Life, and executive treasurer and credit union board member. He plans to transfer to a four-year university to study finance and economics, with the goal of helping communities recovering from conflict, particularly Ukrainians living with trauma.

“Education didn’t just change my direction; it changed my identity,” Andrashko said. “Every test, every class, every day of hard work gave me hope that I could turn survival into success.”

“Just one year ago, I walked into ECC full of doubt, to 'try things out' and see if I could truly restart my education as a Ukrainian after a long academic pause and years of immigration,” Andrashko said. “But the educational journey quickly became addictive, but in the most positive way. I felt supported, inspired, and I felt like my life had direction again. My professors taught me to think critically and reflect deeply, and I found countless opportunities to engage — from serving in student government to acting and beyond. ECC began to feel like home, and like a strong platform to build my life upon. Now, I feel beyond proud and humbled to be recognized nationally and to have the opportunity to share how a community college can profoundly impact one person’s life and serve as a transformative force for the entire community.”

“I had the privilege of being one of the first people to connect with Bohdan when he made the decision to register at ECC,” said Vinny Cascio, dean of students at ECC. “Since that moment, I’ve witnessed an incredible journey of growth. Watching him step into his leadership, gain confidence, and evolve both personally and academically has been truly inspiring. Being part of his journey has been a rewarding experience, and I am beyond proud of the scholar and leader he continues to become.” 

According to Achieving the Dream President and CEO Dr. Karen A. Stout, student-centered impact is central to ATD’s broader mission. “At Achieving the Dream, we see students as co-designers of the systems change we seek to catalyze in our work. The DREAM Scholars program brings this ATD value to life. Through their stories, the 2026 DREAM Scholars bring clarity, courage, and conviction to the conversations shaping the future of higher education. These scholars remind us that when community colleges center student voice, they strengthen not just individual lives but the vitality of entire communities.”