Cultivating Culture and Customs

By Sarah Perez December 10, 2025

Sophomore Olga Balanchuk considers Russian values an integral part of her life. Since moving to the United States from Russia in 2016, Balanchuk has consistently demonstrated the will to enhance her learning and excel academically after learning English in 2nd grade. 

“My family aimed for me and my sister to succeed. Having gone to high school and university in Russia, my parents have witnessed firsthand how academics impact your future. High achievement is a big part of my culture–focusing on building a better future, which can apply to many things beyond school,” Balanchuk said.

Balanchuk is fluent in Russian and speaks it exclusively at home to maintain her language skills and be able to communicate with relatives who do not speak English. She often helps host Russian holidays for her mother's friends and their children, by cooking traditional foods, leading arts and crafts, and reading Russian folk stories such as “Father Frost and His Brothers” and “The Snow Maiden Girl”. The stories teach the children how holidays such as New Years are centered around family and love, and hearing them read out loud helps them become more proficient in the language–a way of looking out for their future.

“Celebrating these holidays and keeping tradition alive is what has shaped my identity. During the holidays, the parents turn on Russian music from cartoons or elsewhere to dance with the kids. I dance with them because I find it very sweet, and I hope to create core memories for them as it did for me,” Balanchuk said. 

Annika Hedge Photo

On December 31st, Balanchuk's family celebrates one of her favorite holidays: The New Year. Her family cooks a large dinner spread, decorates a Christmas tree and watches a holiday movie. On Jan. 1st, they give and receive gifts. The holiday is celebrated like a blend of Christmas traditions with traditional Russian foods such as Olivier salad and a secular focus on family values. She fondly remembers going outside with her grandmother to shout “Ded Moroz!” (Grandfather Frost), ensuring that Grandfather Frost came to leave gifts. Balanchuk looks back to childhood in Russia with joy and hopes to continue to spread that joy through her celebration of Russian culture in the U.S.

Another student, who will be referred to as Anonymous, celebrated Persian cultural traditions, was spoken to in a mixture of English and Persian and enjoyed Persian food—experiences that led them to feel passionate, proud and culturally balanced growing up Persian-American in the U.S.

Anonymous vividly remembers their mother’s book of Farsi poems; whenever their mother had a worry or unanswered question, she would read a poem to Anonymous and follow its advice. Anonymous continues the tradition as they learn to read Farsi, teaching themselves to read Persian poetry and calligraphy with the goal of becoming more immersed in their culture. 

During traditional holidays such as Nowruz (Persian New Year), Anonymous participates in traditional dances, specifically belly dancing. Anonymous’s mother used to play old Persian songs to Anonymous when they were a child, instructing Anonymous while reassuring them in their dancing skills to help Anonymous overcome the embarrassment they felt, a memory they now treasure. 

Other times, Anonymous’s mother told Anonymous stories about her life in Iran. Once, one of their mother’s friends shaved her head to present herself as her mother’s boyfriend, allowing their mother to go without a hijab. Anonymous’s mother was once jailed for her advocacy, worrying Anonymous’s grandparents, who had to pay a fine to release her. Anonymous’s mother told Anonymous how influential her teachers were in her decisions. They continued to make small actions such as leaving hair out during hijab mandates, even after being threatened and hearing of the execution of their principal who advocated for women’s rights. 

In 2022, the death of Iranian Mahsa Amini in police custody after not wearing a hijab sparked widespread protests. Anonymous created an X account for activism initially related to the protest, because they felt their country was becoming more unsafe.

“I created my X account to spread awareness about these issues for my classmates and the people around me. Although I did not want to talk about politics as a kid, the death of Mahsa Amini made the issue more important to me as a matter of human rights. My goal is to get the word out as I get more involved, so that the people of Iran do not have to worry about speaking out against the regime and can lead normal lives,” Anonymous said.

Anonymous called the offices of senators and congressmen in support of legislation to sanction Iran’s current regime, often early before school because of their availability. When her mother recorded one of these calls and encouraged Anonymous to post it to her X, a cyberlegislative group invited Anonymous to join their efforts after the video went viral. They continue to work with them today, now travelling to Washington, D.C. frequently to visit congressmen and senator’s staff for impression meetings and for meetings with other Iranian activists.

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About the Contributor

Sarah Perez

staff writer

Sarah Perez is a sophomore Staff Writer at Leland High School. Some of her hobbies include figure skating, reading, hiking, and sleeping.

Annika Hegde

photographer

Annika Hegde is a Junior at Leland High School and a photographer for The Charger Account. In her free time she enjoys playing card games, singing karaoke with her friends, and working on robotics.