CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After visiting the wounded and taking shelter from airstrikes in Ukraine, an assistant professor of leadership at Austin Peay State University is leading fundraising efforts in Tennessee for the Ukraine military.
Andrea Rakushin Lee is co-leading the Tennessee Chapter of 50 States for Ukraine, a project with a current goal to raise $12,500 to buy a vehicle for the Ukrainian military.
“For a while, Ukrainians felt like America abandoned them, especially in the last year,” Lee told Clarksville Now. “When they see this (fundraising) it’s a morale booster, especially seeing people in America come together.”
Witnessing Ukraine war firsthand
Lee has made academic trips to Ukraine in recent years. Though she was never near the frontlines of combat, the war was everywhere in Ukraine. During her last trip to western Ukraine in late 2024, drones and missiles had expanded the war beyond Kyiv…