With missiles landing over the border of Poland, the ongoing war in Eastern Europe is getting closer to home for NATO-protected countries.

The mainstream stereotypes about Ukraine and Ukrainians are heavily influenced by its past as one of the countries that made up the USSR. Assumptions about Ukraine being solely influenced by Russia, despite having its own language, culture, and identity, have been hard to shake. Even now, in a war of Russian aggression, these stuck-in-time stereotypes prevail internationally, with reports of the surprising prevalence of unique Ukrainian hipster culture as represented by cool eateries, modern businesses, and stylish districts.

A program that started in Las Vegas a little more than three decades ago continues to pursue its goal: Ensure the valley’s highest achieving high schoolers attend college in Nevada, get a top-flight education and don’t take their talents elsewhere. It’s called the UNLV Honors College, and new enrollment has tripled in the past six years.

A little more than two decades after it was created, a program in Las Vegas continues with its objectives: Attract senior students with high academic performance, equip them better for entering the workforce, and graduate with honors from the university. In this episode, Luz Gray talks with the school's teacher, Joanna Kepka, and the student Ingrid Zárate about everything offered by the Honors College of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). Also, the weekly report from the state capital with Michelle Rindels.