The Right Mindset

He discovered he would have to learn Russian and Ukrainian, languages of which he did not know a single word. Due to the pandemic shutting down the school for a few months, Dayan had approximately six months to learn not one, but two new languages. Over the next four years, he persevered and achieved his bachelor’s degree. 

Not only did he accomplish his goal—he was the only non-Ukrainian student to be awarded a government scholarship to complete his master’s degree. He also found work with a local company during this time, which was an accomplishment in and of itself. Only few precent of international students who remained in Ukraine upon graduation would secure a job in their field, due to discrimination against those who are not native speakers of the language. 

He began building a house in Ukraine and his then girlfriend, now wife, would travel from the US to visit him. In 2019, Dayan would move to Baltimore to be closer to her while she pursued her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University. When he arrived in Baltimore, Dayan was unsure if he would be able to continue as an architect.  

“All of my contacts and experience were from a quite different culture. I was not sure it would translate to how things were done here in the U.S.,” he said. 

Yet again, Dayan found himself living in a country in which he did not speak the language. He had to prioritize learning Russian and Ukrainian to gain employment in Ukraine, and he now had to learn English. Through television, movies, and friendly conversations, he acquired fluency in his fourth language, including Persian, Russian, and English. 

He and his wife moved to New Jersey for her dream job, and Dayan began working at an architectural firm in the area, where he was able to continue perfecting his English. He was planning to go back to Ukraine to visit his brother and finish building his home so he could sell it. Shortly after he returned, he accepted a job with a firm in Southern California, where his in-laws resided so he and his wife could be closer to family.  

A week later, war broke out in Ukraine. His brother was still in Ukraine and unable to contact Dayan, leaving him uncertain of his safety.  

“All I saw on the news was explosions and chaos,” he said. “And all I could think about was my brother and wondered if he was safe.” 

Fortunately, he finally received word that his brother had fled Ukraine and joined their parents, who were now living in London.  

Dayan would then interview with multiple firms, but he was drawn to Gray because of its core values and culture.  

“You spend most of your day at work, so building meaningful relationships with your colleagues is important,” Dayan said. “And Gray does an excellent job at fostering this type of culture.” 

Dayan began his tenure at Gray in September of 2022 at the Gray Fullerton office and has thrived working with a tight-knit and diverse team. Gray’s focus on camaraderie and career development is something he appreciates—and he feels his lived experiences can be a comfort and support to fellow team members. 

“I cannot change the difficult things that I have experienced in my life, but I can grow from them so that I can then help others deal with hard times,” Dayan said. “That is the responsibility I have to myself and to those around me. With my lived experiences, I can help others and tell them what I learned—you can get through anything with the right mindset.”