My name is Donovan Scott Arthur and I am 22 years old. Although my birthday has never changed, my name has. My birth name is Dmytro Blyznjuk Viktorovyk and I was born in the Ukraine. I was adopted by my parents, Kate and David, on March 9th, 2010. I have 5 siblings back in Ukraine and 3 whom I have grown up with here in the U.S.
When I first moved to Arizona, I did not know English. I couldn’t even speak to my new adoptive family but eventually got the hang of it. After all, that was my only choice.
I could tell you it was easy but that would be a lie.
To give you some perspective, my birth father died and my mother decided she couldn’t take care of my siblings and I. She took us to an orphanage and that is where I was eventually adopted. So, if you can imagine, it was challenging to leave all I knew behind and start anew at 10 years old.
Fast forward a couple years: I know English fluently, I have friends and I attend Brophy College Preparatory. I play football as a Wide Receiver/Tight End and end up earning a scholarship to play football at Concordia College. I’d say I have lived the American dream in the short 12 years I have been here.
My country will always be Ukraine but my home is here with my friends and family.
