From Ukrainian Refugee to College of Law Graduate: Student Shares His Remarkable Journey

Stanislav (Stan) Borodyansky took a non-traditional path to law school.

As a competitive rock climber and small business owner who dropped out of college earlier in life, Borodyansky had a change of heart (and mind) in his 30’s. His experience running a chain of gyms – often winging it with his co-owners – gave Borodyansky an appreciation for problem-solving. “Sometimes it was trial by error,” he said. His experience as a competitive rock climber since childhood gave him an appreciation for adrenaline rushes. “There’s risk and consequences.” Put them together and they added up to a new aspiration: attorney at law.

During a Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Borodyansky will receive his Juris Doctor degree from the UNT Dallas College of Law, where he is #1 in the Daytime Class of 2025 with a 4.03 GPA. Then it’s on to the Texas bar exam and a position in the litigation department of the Dallas law firm Carrington Coleman. "Litigation, that's been my passion during law school," Borodyansky said.

An Immigrant’s Perspective

As he looks ahead to a promising future as a lawyer, Borodyansky has quite a unique perspective. Not only is he an accomplished student, athlete, and entrepreneur, he is an immigrant – from Kyiv, Ukraine – a city and country fighting for their future against an infamous aggressor – Russia. “We were here on refugee status,” Borodyansky said, explaining how his family was described when they arrived in the United States 34 years ago.

He and his parents emigrated here when he was five-years-old, a journey delayed by the Soviet government, which often denied applications to emigrate by Jewish families and those of other religions. “They wanted something better,” Borodyansky said. His parents were part of a large group known as the Refusniks – Soviet Jews whose plans to leave the country had been refused by the government. Finally, their wish to come to the U.S. was granted in 1991.

Borodyansky's his parents are engineers. They expected to live and work in New York but found opportunities in Dallas instead. He became a U.S. citizen when he was 16. Borodyansky still has memories of his early childhood apartment in Ukraine and the park where he once played. “That’s where my whole family is from,” he said.

He views the current war between Ukraine and Russia with frustration and skepticism. “They’re a sovereign nation,” Borodyansky said. “We need to change the public perception that Ukraine’s at fault. They took Crimea, too,” referring to Russia’s illegal seizure of the country in 2014. His parents still have friends in Ukraine – and worry about their fate every time there’s an attack, like the recent bombing of Kyiv that killed 12 people on April 24.

The Next Level

His decision to go back to college at 33 happened quickly. Borodyansky had done “a few random semesters” right out of high school, but back then the offer to be part owner of a rock-climbing gym was too tempting to resist. More than a decade later, even after the business had grown to eight gyms with 10,000 members, he had a reckoning. “The world doesn’t revolve around rock climbing,” Borodyansky said with a laugh.

After enjoying success, “I wanted to take my career to the next level and had to finish my undergraduate degree,” Borodyansky said. When he did some research and some math, “I realized I could do all of this by 40, that became the goal and things really escalated." He is now 39.

Borodyansky enrolled at UNT Dallas College of Law in 2022 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science from the UNT Dallas main campus in southern Dallas, near his home in Oak Cliff. He has spent the last five years working tenaciously toward this moment. “The school has prepared us well. I can see it and I’ve experienced it," Borodyansky said. “It’s been stressful, but amazing to see everyone’s progress.” 

Competitive Climber

Stress – and how to deal with it – was something Borodyansky became accustomed to as a competitive rock climber. It is physically and mentally challenging. “Don’t panic, you have to keep it together,” he said.

As a pre-teen, Borodyansky got into the sport through a friend. As he progressed, he acquired the nickname “Big Stan.” During a promotional video for Summit Climbing Gym, Borodyansky described (at the 4:15 mark in the clip) what he liked about rock climbing. “When you’re on your project and you’re feeling so good about it – right when you get it, it’s the best feeling. And if you don’t, it’s not the best feeling.” He was straightforward, even as a 12-year-old.

What Will Stan Think About As He Crosses the Commencement Stage? Watch the Video at the End of This Story to Find Out (Hint: It's About Gratitude)

Borodyansky competed across the country with one of the first rock climbing teams in the U.S. As he got older, he switched from competing to coaching. “I said ‘I get paid for being here, even better’,” Borodyansky said. Later, he became a coach for the U.S. national speed climbing team, which included traveling outside the U.S. for international competitions.

Coaching kids and adults alike helped Borodyansky improve a crucial skill in the legal profession. “I’ve coached all ages, from 4-years-old to 70-something. That has helped me communicate with people,” he said. “You have to translate and convey your message so they can do a better job.” Borodyansky is confident he will be able to communicate clearly and effectively with judges when he gets the opportunity.

Expanding his business from one to eight locations along with his partners, Borodyansky learned about patience and persistence. “You have to keep track of a lot of different things. That’s what being a lawyer will be,” he said. Borodyansky also believes the organizational and problem-solving skills he acquired while running a business will benefit him as an attorney. In 2023, he sold his interest in the business. He is proud to say rock climbing is now an Olympic sport.

From Rocks to Mocks

Over the past three years, Borodyansky has competed in mock trials and moot court contests. In 2023, he and his law school partner Alex Valdez won the annual Thompson Coburn upper-level Moot Court competition held at UNT Dallas College of Law. Thirty students competed, arguing an issue about access to contraception and the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. “That was definitely memorable. You go in really nervous, you study, you prepare just a great moment at the end,” he said.

Borodyansky also competed in the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (TEX-ABOTA) Best in Texas Voir Dire mock trial tournament, with classmate Aaron Mendonsa. 

Borodyansky cites four distinct UNT Dallas College of Law strengths that have equipped him for the legal profession. Number one: “The professors are amazing. They want you to succeed,” he said. “Some are still practicing themselves.” The size of the College and the classes are important, too. “It has a community aspect,” Borodyansky said. Third: the location in downtown Dallas near the courthouses –  in the old Dallas City Hall, which has been remarkably restored. Finally, the focus on experiential education. “It’s theory and practice together,” he explained.

The moot court, trial advocacy, and legal research experience, combined with the Community Lawyering Center, Joyce Ann Brown Innocence Clinic, and partnerships that lead to internships, make UNT Dallas College of Law different and special, Borodyansky believes. “I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he said. “The camaraderie in the trenches” of pursuing a law degree along other dedicated, likeminded students.

“It’s not too late. You can do this whenever you want. There’s no rule in life that says you go to high school, college, law school or whatever afterwards,” Borodyansky said. As an older student “you’re more mature and more organized. Being a non-traditional student is 100% an advantage.” For him, it was clearly worth the wait.