How this started.

Soon after February 2022, Chris Mead decided to start a pen pal program between American and Ukrainian students. Whether it would survive the idea stage depended on a conversation with Kathleen Kordek, a retired law professor who was half Ukrainian. She encouraged Mead to work through schools.

Had Kathleen not so encouraged and directed me at this point, I might have given the pen pal concept up as one more harebrained idea from a mind full of rabbits.

CHRIS MEAD – 2026 ESSAY BOOKLET

Kathleen Kordek has since passed away. The 2026 essay collection is dedicated to her memory.

The technical piece came from Mead’s daughter Katherine, who was 23 at the time. She built a Google form. When a student fills it out, the form routes directly to Mead, who matches students by similar ages and interests.

Katherine insisted that this was an easy technical task, but for me it would have been the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest on stilts.

CHRIS MEAD – 2026 ESSAY BOOKLET