It’s one thing to watch the riots unfold between Ukraine and Russia from half a world away through the evening news or in the morning paper or from Tweets, but it’s quite another to hear the news first-hand from your son who is right in the middle of the controversy.

That is what Scott Ash told hundreds of Social Studies students who gathered throughout the day in the Media Center in late March. History teacher Rebecca Rickeard invited him to talk to not only her students, but to all History students to show them how world events that seem so far away from their every-day lives can affect them and their world. Rickeard met Ash on a Grace Evangelical Church mission trip they took together in June 2007 to Moldova.

Ash, whose son Aaron graduated from The Mill in 2010, shared his personal connection to the potentially world-changing crisis.

Aaron attended the University of Georgia for two years before withdrawing to pursue a career independently designing software for the iPhone. According to Scott, Aaron first visited Ukraine in 2008 on a mission trip with Grace Evangelical Church to provide assistance at an orphanage.

Maidan Square, which means Independence Square, is located in the heart of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and has been the traditional place where political rallies have occurred in the past.

Aaron has lived in Kiev since he moved there two years ago to be with his now-fiancée Oksana. When the riots against the Ukrainian government began in late February, he decided he would visit Maidan Square to see the protesters’ camp.

According to Scott, Aaron said he made the decision to go down to Maidan Square and witness the protests to determine if tensions between the police and rioters were as intense as the news made it seem.

“Aaron called us to say he was going down to the Square to watch the protests,” Scott Ash said. “As a parent, that is a scary thing to hear. We try to have some sort of contact with Aaron at least every day. Even if it is just a message from him on Facebook, that is all we need.”

While in the Square, Aaron saw the protesters’ camp and the growing force of riot police that surrounded the camp. He was able to get a picture of himself standing in front of the line of police, which he set as his profile picture on Facebook, his father told the students.

Scott Ash traced the causes of the ongoing conflict to events that transpired throughout Eastern Europe during the 20th century. He also drew interesting parallels between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s current expansionary tactics and those used by Nazi Germany leader Adolph Hitler in the 1930s.

“As things continue to deteriorate, we plan to stay  in contact with Aaron every day,” Scott Ash  said. “We hope this crisis will be resolved quickly and peacefully, and our son remains safe.”