When 13-year-old Alina first arrived at our house, she shared with me that she had a dream to join Cirque de Soleil. We’d had a student at one of my former schools who trained for cirque, so I told her I thought it was possible to find a trainer. I had no idea, really.

When I wrote about her dream in the local newspaper, Alina was invited to perform at a local outdoor show. She asked Ric to build her hand canes for her 14th birthday, which he gladly did with the help of her father. She practiced day and night on her routine, but I was too busy trying to cope with having a family of five under our roof, who did not speak the same language. I didn’t pay attention.

The day of the performance, I was invited on stage to talk a bit about how this Ukrainian family came to stay with us. Then the crew queued the music and Alina started her routine. Pretty sure the whole audience cried, although it was hard to tell through my watery eyes. The performance was live streamed and within days, Alina had offers to audition for circus schools nearby.

In the end, she was offered scholarships at two schools, and knowing what she wanted, Alina chose the one more aligned with her goals.

This summer, Alina’s sponsorship ran out. Her plan to work at the studio in exchange for training fell flat when her application for a work permit got lost in red tape. Her mom started a GoFundMe and immediately started planning. Alina’s circus troupe offered to perform with her to raise money. Last Friday, the event was held at a local high school. A hundred or more people attended. Alina was able to raise enough funds to continue her dream.

Photos are just a taste of the event. Alina’s younger sister created postcards of her art, which she sold for $5 each, adding $315 to the cause.