A King Constantine Medal Story: Darena Shcherbakova, Rockport School, UK
Darena Shcherbakova, from Rockport School in Northern Ireland, has been awarded her school’s 2026 King Constantine Medal for living the Round Square IDEALS in every aspect of school life. Having arrived from Ukraine following the outbreak of war, Darena adapted to a new country, language, school and examination system while supporting those around her. Through her resilience, service and commitment to helping others, including providing translation support for Ukrainian families in her local community, she has become a valued member of the school and an example to others.
“I remember my taster day about a month after we arrived in Northern Ireland. I was so lost. I was thinking, “Who are these people? What am I doing here?” Rockport was very different from the school experience I had in Ukraine. Because my English wasn’t very good, I wasn’t really able to chat to people properly yet, and I was quite confused about being placed in a younger year group. Looking back now, I understand it was for the best. At the time, though, it was difficult.”
“Having to move countries due to war at the age of 14 was life-altering. I left my home, my country and my dad behind. My dad is still in Ukraine and serves in the army. Thankfully, he is not on the front line, but being separated from him has been one of the hardest parts of the last few years. Last winter, he was able to come and visit us for the first time. He had always supported us being here, so for him to meet the people who are dear to us and to see the life we had built was honestly incredible.”
“During the hardships of adjusting and aching over the war at home, I experienced the beauty of human compassion shown to me by teachers. One memory always comes to mind.”
“My best friend from Ukraine had come to visit me and then she left. I was really sad. I didn’t have really good friends in the class yet because it was still my first year at Rockport. I remember writing something in Ukrainian on my Chemistry booklet about how upset I was. That evening, I received a message through Google Classroom from my teacher. She had translated what I had written and wanted to check if I was okay. She told me I was welcome to come and have a hot chocolate or a tea and just chat. I was blown away. That happened four years ago and I think I will remember it for the rest of my life.”
“That type of kindness really means a lot, especially when you are struggling through being in a different country with a different culture because you had to leave your own behind. The belief that teachers had in me and my abilities developed my confidence and the desire to thrive academically more than I ever thought I could.”
“I had studied English from a young age in Ukraine, and both of my parents encouraged me to learn it. My dad especially always pushed my sister and me to keep practising, even when we didn’t really understand why. Now I can see why.”
“A month after arriving in Northern Ireland, I started working in a café owned by our host family. That helped me enormously. I was listening to people of different ages speak and getting used to different accents. Sometimes I understood everything. Sometimes I didn’t. I would never have imagined in Year 10 that I could get an A in GCSE English.”
“Being in a Round Square school also made a difference.When you come here, you don’t feel like you’re the odd one. There are people from such a range of countries and backgrounds. There were already other Ukrainian students at Rockport when I arrived, and there were teachers who genuinely wanted to learn about different cultures. Having opportunities to share our culture, while learning about others, helped me feel that I belonged. Internationalism wasn’t just something we talked about. It was something we experienced.”
“As my confidence grew, I wanted to help others in the same way people had helped me. Outside school, I have been able to support other Ukrainian families in Northern Ireland, often helping with translation. I know how difficult it can be to arrive somewhere new and try to navigate daily life in a different language. Being able to help people through that process has been important to me.”
“Receiving the King Constantine Medal was completely unexpected. When they announced it at Speech Day, I actually didn’t realise it was me. My friend had to tell me.”
“When the award was explained, I felt seen. I felt that the school recognised everything I had done, both in school and outside it. I felt valued and appreciated.”
“Looking ahead, I hope to study Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast. I quite like people. I would really like to understand why people are the way they are and how we can help people understand themselves. One day, I would like to have the opportunity to go back home and help people there.”
“As someone who was able to leave the country, come to Northern Ireland, receive an education and be welcomed into a school community, I would like to give back to people who were less fortunate, who lost their homes, who lost family members, or who lost themselves in a sense. If I can do that, I think that would be something meaningful.”
“One thing I would say to students is that you may not know the reason someone has moved their home, school or country. There is likely to be a difficult story behind it. But you don’t have to know that story to be kind, welcoming and compassionate.”
“Choose to be the first one to say hi to the new student in your class. Choose to overcome the initial feeling of awkwardness that may occur when you speak to someone whose English is not perfect. Choose to invite the quiet girl or boy in your class to sit with your friend group at lunch.”
“People often worry about awkwardness. But awkwardness is not the worst thing that can happen to you. It’s honestly one of the least important things you should worry about. The “new classmate”, “the girl from a different country”, “the quiet boy” may become your ‘bestest’ friend if you just take that first step.”
“For students who come from situations like mine, I would say: take your time with adjusting. Take your time with processing the pain. You don’t have to jump straight into trying to achieve everything academically, trying to build friendships, trying to be everywhere and do everything. But after that, realise that your life is still going on and you’re fortunate enough that there will be opportunities. Use those opportunities. Seek the opportunities as well.”
“Don’t be scared to ask for help. Don’t be scared to ask questions. And don’t be scared to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.”
Four Ways to Help Someone Settle In
- Say hello first
Don’t wait for the new student to make the first move. A simple greeting can make a big difference. - Don’t let awkwardness stop you
Speaking to someone new, or someone whose English isn’t perfect, might feel awkward. That’s okay. Awkwardness is one of the least important things to worry about. - Invite, include and involve
Ask them to join your lunch table, a club, an activity or a conversation. Inclusion often starts with a small invitation. - Show that you care
You don’t need to know someone’s whole story to be kind, welcoming and compassionate. Small acts of support can stay with someone for years.