Life just got better for a Ukrainian family from Kharkiv who fled the Russian invasion, endured a harrowing 136-hour journey to Mexico and finally landed in Broomfield with relatives last month.

The three generations of women, Zina Ryf and Oksana and Adelina Voskresenska, entered the U.S. with nothing but a few clothes, their cellphones and mementos small enough to fit in a tiny suitcase. But after weeks of uncertainty about their status here, things are looking up.

On Friday, 10-year-old Adelina came home with an accolade that delighted her mom, Oksana: Her classmates at Coyote Ridge Elementary nominated her as the Student of the Month for April for her “perseverance, accountability, courage and kindness,” and for her ability to adapt and smile despite her unfamiliar surroundings. Her great aunt and sponsor, Broomfield resident Olga Zaiss, said they are proud and grateful to the school, the teachers and the students who have welcomed the fifth grader.

In other positive news, after a story on the family’s experience ran in The Denver Gazette and aired on 9News, Oksana was offered a job as store manager at Cowabunga Ice Cream, a locally owned shop in Lafayette. Oksana, who has a law degree from a university in Ukraine, is getting her driver’s license and is working to finalize her Temporary Protected Status, which would provide her with a limited work permit.

It is unknown how many Ukrainians have settled in Colorado since the invasion began Feb. 24. Zina, Oksana and Adelina are among 3,331 Ukrainians who have crossed into the U.S. through the Southwest border, fleeing the Russian attacks with a grant of Humanitarian Parole. This stipulation means that they can live and work in the United States for up to two years but are not eligible for benefits a refugee would receive.

Immigrants like Zina, Oksana and Adelina who are here under Humanitarian Parole do not receive refugee status, which includes a pathway to citizenship, work authorization and access to safety net programs.

President Joe Biden last week announced a push to welcome Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country. The program Uniting for Ukraine is so new that state immigration offices are waiting for the federal government’s lead to figure out what they can do to help Ukrainian immigrants in their resettlement.