Dr. Kateryna Pitchford, Ukrainian-born professor shares perspective on Russian invasion

Little Rock, Arkansas — Dr. Kateryna Pitchford now lives in Conway, Arkansas, but she spent the first 21 years of her life in Ukraine.

Pitchford recalls what life was like growing up under communist rule, including 6-day work weeks and rationing of food supplies.

“I grew up in Dnipro, Ukraine, which used to be Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. I was born in 1982, so I was born under U.S.S.R. I remember going to school six days a week. So Saturdays were half a day. My mom went to work on Saturdays, too. She worked at the bank. My dad was in charge of the mail train that deliver mail to Siberia. So he would be gone for several weeks at a time,” she recalled.

“I remember going to the store with my friends, kind of like a grocery store close to home and they would sell you a certain number of eggs depending on how many people in your party were standing in line. So if me, my mom and my friends were there, they’ll sell you 30 eggs. If you were by yourself standing in line, they’ll sell you 10 eggs, something like that. So I remember that” she added.

As her home country has been invaded by Russian troops at the direction of Vladimir Putin Pitchford, now an associate professor of business at Central Baptist College has watched in horror. She is in daily contact with family and friends back home despite she’s lived in the U.S. for close to two decades.