SUGAR HILL — As Gwinnett County continues to grow as one of the most diverse school systems in the Southeast, the Lanier Cluster has become home to the district’s largest concentration of Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking students.
According to Sugar Hill Mayor Brandon Hembree, schools within the cluster, which includes Lanier High School and its feeder schools, have the highest percentage of students who speak Ukrainian or Russian in the Gwinnett County Public Schools system.
“The Lanier Cluster has the highest percentage of Ukrainian and Russian-speaking students in the entire Gwinnett County Public School System,” Hembree said. “Depending on the school, it ranges from 5 to 7 percent.”
The growing presence of these families reflects broader global migration patterns in recent years, as well as the appeal of North Gwinnett communities such as Sugar Hill.
Hembree said families have been drawn to the area for several reasons, including strong public schools, established community connections and a welcoming environment.
“They’ve chosen this area for a variety of reasons, and I’m proud our community is a place they want to establish roots,” Hembree said. “I welcome them to Sugar Hill and the surrounding area.”
As new families arrive, local leaders and community members have worked to help them integrate and build connections throughout the community.
Among those supporting the growing Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking population are Yaroslav Malko and Max Lisovskiy, who are involved in faith-based outreach and humanitarian efforts both locally and internationally.
Malko is the founder of a chaplaincy program serving law enforcement agencies in Ukraine, providing spiritual support to personnel in the National Police, Court Security Service, correctional system and fire departments.
Lisovskiy is also active in ministry and community initiatives that focus on mentorship, service and support for families in the United States and abroad. In addition to his ministry work, Lisovskiy serves on the advisory board of International Leadership Training, an organization that equips immigrant pastors and lay leaders for ministry in the United States and around the world.
Hembree said the work being done by Malko and Lisovskiy has had a meaningful impact, particularly through outreach programs supporting chaplains and humanitarian efforts across Eastern Europe.
“I’m thankful for Yaroslav Malko and Max Lisovskiy,” Hembree said. “The work they are doing here and in countries like Ukraine, where they have over 400 chaplains, as well as in Moldova, Poland and Romania, is extraordinary.”
Those efforts include supporting ministry networks that provide spiritual care, community support and humanitarian assistance in regions that have experienced conflict and displacement.
Members of the international “Chaplain Patrol” team recently met with partners in Georgia to express appreciation for the continued support of chaplaincy programs serving law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Moldova.
According to the organization, partnerships with supporters in the United States have helped strengthen the development of chaplaincy programs by hosting international delegations and sharing professional experience to build sustainable models of support for public safety personnel.
Hembree said the dedication of the leaders involved has left a lasting impression on him.
“I’ve never met people more bold in their faith, more loving to the community they call home and more thankful to be here in the United States of America,” he said.
As the Lanier Cluster continues to grow and diversify, local leaders say the presence of families from around the world has enriched the community and strengthened cultural connections throughout North Gwinnett.
For many families, the area has become more than just a place to live – it has become a place to build a future.
