Three Years After Fleeing War-Torn Ukraine, Graduate Honored Among Rutgers’ Highest Academic Achievers
Illia Kholiavin joined 234 of his peers inducted into the prestigious Matthew Leydt Society
When Illia Kholiavin fled his war-torn Ukrainian hometown of Mariupol in 2022, he left behind the only life he’d ever known.
“I didn’t leave my city for more than a week in my life,” said Kholiavin, who had to abandon medical school when he escaped the Russian invasion that claimed the lives of so many friends and neighbors. “I was never out of Ukraine before the war.”
After relocating first to Poland and then Sparta, N.J., with his mother and grandmother, he committed himself to learning English and finishing school.
“What we experienced was brutal. It changed something in us,” he said. “You really understand that life is not infinite. You need to do something in your life before it ends.”
On Friday, Kholiavin was inducted into Rutgers University’s prestigious Matthew Leydt Society along with 234 of his peers who ranked in the top 2% of Rutgers University-New Brunswick's and Rutgers Health's graduating Class of 2025.
“I applied to dozens of colleges in the U.S. Almost everyone said, ‘You are a refugee; we are not sure of your status.’ But Rutgers and Rutgers Global reviewed my case and said, ‘OK we’ll help you,’” said Kholiavin, 23, who, building on college credits he earned in Ukraine, graduated with his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Kholiavin and his fellow inductees were welcomed into the society during a dinner Friday on the grounds of the home of Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, who chatted with the students and their guests and posed for photos. During his remarks to celebrate the occasion, Holloway congratulated the group on their collective academic accomplishment.
“In the course of your studies at Rutgers, you have relentlessly pursued excellence and committed yourselves to the highest standards of academic rigor,” said Holloway. “Today, as you prepare to receive your degrees, we celebrate your achievements with pride and know that you will continue to put your talent, passion, and intellect to work throughout your lives.”
Named for the first and only 1774 graduate of Queen’s College, the Matthew Leydt Society was launched in 2015. Leydt matriculated as a sophomore when instruction began at Queen’s College in 1771, earning a bachelor of arts degree three years later. At that first commencement in New Brunswick, Leydt delivered orations in Latin, Dutch and English and, after graduation, earned his license to enter the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church. At Queen’s College, he studied under Frederick Frelinghuysen, the college’s first tutor, and Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, who would later become the college’s first president in 1786. In 1825, Queen’s College was renamed Rutgers College in honor of Col. Henry Rutgers, a trustee and Revolutionary War veteran.
Friday’s celebration was an opportunity for those being inducted to enjoy a more intimate gathering with a few close friends and relatives before taking part in the university’s large-scale commencement events.
As a string quartet played under the tent on the lawn of the president’s home, Victoria Richard and Smruthi Sathya dined together with their peers and parents. The event marked a milestone for the roommates who spent the last year motivating each other to make it into the Matthew Leydt Society.
“I saw it on LinkedIn last year when a few friends were reposting. I was looking into it and thought, it was a great recognition,” said Sathya, 21, of Florham Park, N.J., who received a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from Rutgers Business School. “I thought my grades looked good, maybe I’ll be invited. It was awesome to also get this honor with my roommate Victoria. It’s so nice to feel valued and that all my hard work is being recognized.”
“Who doesn’t want to have a fancy meal at the president’s house?” added Richard.
The pair met freshman year through Rutgers-New Brunswick Honors College and credit the program, their classmates and professors with pushing them in ways that maximized their undergraduate experience at Rutgers.
“I remember freshman year when I was so intimidated by college; this honor would not have even been on my radar,” said Sathya, who will be joining the Boston Consulting Group as an associate after graduation. “Living in the Honors College, I was surrounded by people from a variety of different majors and was able to learn so much from their different perspectives.”
“When you surround yourself with people who are dedicated and hard-working, you want to match that energy” said Richard, 22, of Smithfield, R.I., who majored in political science and minored in critical intelligence studies.
Richard learned she was accepted into the Matthew Leydt Society just days before being recognized as a Fulbright Scholar. An intern in the university’s Office for Federal Relations, she will be spending next year in Madrid teaching English to middle and high school students by day and assisting with the school’s Model U.N. program in the evenings.
Fellow Honors College student and Fulbright Scholar Evan Keeton, 22, of Edison, N.J., arrived at Friday’s event with his mother, grandmother and father, Chuck Keeton, vice provost for experiential learning.
The School of Arts and Sciences graduate earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Asian studies and math and will spend his Fulbright year in Taiwan teaching English and soaking up Taiwanese culture and dance traditions.
“If I’d chosen a different university, I don’t think my path would have looked like this. But I’m so glad I did,” said Keeton of discovering his passion for Asian studies and dance through unique clubs and classes here.
Kholiavin also took both his grandmother and mother, who works at the Livingston Dining Hall, to the dinner, and said earning this honor is like a “cherry on top” of his experiences in America and at Rutgers.
“What really matters to me is I was part of this Rutgers community. I studied with very talent students. I was at lectures with very talented professors,” said Kholiavin, who hopes to work in medical research while applying for residency, so he can eventually pursue a medical degree. “It really matters for me to apply my knowledge to help people and be able to do some new things in my life that will be beneficial to everyone.”
