Nico Demers
“As a Ukrainian living abroad, it has made a big difference for both my studies and daily life. It has added security to my life abroad and enabled me to help others in similar situations at the same time.”
Ukrainian <> English
I am a student making my way through a Bachelor's degree in linguistics. I was born and raised in Ukraine but moved to Canada for my studies shortly before the war began. As well as being a translator for Respond, I also work with children with special needs. I am passionate about ancient languages and bird photography.
Working with Respond over the past year has helped me immensely. As a Ukrainian living abroad, it has made a big difference for both my studies and daily life. It has added security to my life abroad and enabled me to help others in similar situations at the same time.
As a Ukrainian, I find it very fulfilling to use my linguistic skills to make the process of integration easier for other Ukrainians moving abroad. What I like especially about Respond is the team's determination to help refugees in need, as well as the friendliness and acceptance they have shown me for as long as I've worked with them.
As an amateur bird photographer, people assume my favorite bird must be something unique or exotic. Really, it's the common house sparrow. I care deeply about human rights in general, but especially the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and of refugees in vulnerable countries.
One of my favourite words is "Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia" - the word for an irrational fear of long words.
