York College of PA To Join Colleges Jointly Offering Honorary Degree to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

York College is joining a number of colleges and universities who are jointly offering an honorary degree, in absentia, to president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and in honor of the Ukrainian people at their Spring commencement ceremonies. York College’s ceremony is on May 14.

In granting this honorary degree, President Pamela Gunter-Smith said, “The College wishes to acknowledge Zelenskyy for his courage in the face of insurmountable odds and his role in rallying the ‘free’ world against tyranny and in support of democracy and freedom.” 

York College has demonstrated support for Ukraine in a variety of ways. The Department of Campus Safety Police recently donated eight used bulletproof vests to those fighting in Ukraine. The request came from the FBI National Academy Class, which includes a police officer from Ukraine.

The College also has a partnership with a university in Poland, the State University of Applied Sciences in Włocławek, which was created by Klaudia Ćwiękała-Lewis, Ph.D., of the Stabler Department of Nursing. The partner university has asked York College and others to help them by buying relief items from Amazon to be sent directly to the University, which will distribute them to the Ukrainian refugees.