Participant of the regional contest "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the nomination "Youth Worker of the Year" Iryna Aksionova
Iryna Aksionova is a primary school teacher and psychologist from the village of Respublika, in the Mariupol district, who works at the Nikolske Gymnasium "Sofia." Once, the "Sofia" gymnasium where she worked bustled with normal school life, but today, its building remains in the temporarily occupied territory of the Nikolske community. Like many Ukrainians, Iryna was forced to leave her home, but as she says, a home is not walls, but people. Today, she lives in Sloviansk, very close to the front line.
Despite the distance, Iryna continues to teach her students, who are now scattered all over the world—some in Poland, some in Germany, some under occupation. Her lessons have become a space of support for them—a place where they can make mistakes, laugh, cry, and be themselves. She is convinced that today, teachers are not only educating children but also each other—teaching them to be humane, to stick together, and to not lose themselves.
Iryna is a participant in the HP IDEA educational project, where, together with her colleagues, she created case-lessons—innovative and practical tools for teaching children in wartime. This project has become their innovative response to a difficult reality. In parallel, Iryna is a curator of a psychosocial support program in the workplace. She conducts stabilization exercises, conversations, and emotional practices with students and colleagues, helping them to stay at the moment — even when everything around them is being destroyed.
In the 2024/2025 academic year, she was certified as a primary school teacher and later became an expert for the Eastern Interregional Department of the State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine, supporting other educators. Her efforts were recognized with a victory in the regional web showcase "Educational Environment of a Primary School: Innovative Practices – 2025." However, for Iryna herself, the most valuable reward remains the words of gratitude from children, parents, and colleagues: drawings, smiles, letters, and sincere conversations that heal.
Photography has become a separate part of her personal story—a way to preserve moments of light and humanity. She takes photos of eyes, hugs, and moments that are so easy to lose in times of war. It's her attempt to leave a testament for future generations: we were here, we held on, and we continued to believe.
Iryna Aksionova is a teacher, psychologist, expert, photographer, mother, and friend. Her daily work is not about loud slogans. It's about small, but very important steps toward the light, even when darkness reigns all around.