Ukrainian Catholic University establishes scholarship, paying tribute to deceased soldier Da Vinci
The Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) has established a scholarship fund in honour of the fallen hero of Ukraine, Dmytro Kotsiubailo who went by the alias of Da Vinci.
UCU has stated that it was initiated by the soldier's fiancée, Alina Mykhailova.
The Dmytro Kotsiubailo Scholarship will be awarded to students for their active volunteer work, and in particular to those who have supported and helped the military, veterans and their families.
The initiator, Alina Mykhailova, head of the Ulf medical service of the Da Vinci Wolves mechanised battalion, said that for her, the scholarship is primarily "about the memory and continuation of my fiancé's work."
"His main motivation was a free, independent, successful and prosperous Ukraine. And this cannot be achieved without educated Ukrainians. Dmytro had been striving to learn all his life, improving himself in various fields and learning new things. He understood the importance of education since childhood.
That is why his family and I want to give people the opportunity to get a high-quality, modern and much-needed education at the Ukrainian Catholic University with this scholarship," Alina says.
UCU Deputy Rector Natalka Klymovska noted that the university's goal is to raise $100,000 for a sustainable fund that will generate the Da Vinci scholarship and cover the costs of a student's education at the university annually.
To make a donation to the Dmytro Kotsiubailo Scholarship Fund, please follow the link.
Dmytro Kotsiubailo was a Ukrainian volunteer soldier, commander of the 1st Da Vinci Wolves Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014.
In early December 2021, Da Vinci received the highest state award, the title of Hero of Ukraine, for his personal courage in defending Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He became the first volunteer to receive this title during his lifetime.
He was killed on 7 March near Bakhmut, while performing a mission. A mortar bomb exploded next to him and one of the fragments hit him in the neck. The man was 27 years old.
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