Competition for the most interesting and original story about youth travel and student exchange programs “Now and in the Future”
Good day to everyone. My name is Dinmukhamed. I am from Almaty. I am 19 years old. Currently, I am a 2nd-year student at the International Information Technology University (IITU). I am majoring in Information Systems. My English level is Intermediate. In my free time, I love reading books, writing poems, and playing football. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I am a budding writer.
- What do I know about youth travel and external academic mobility?
Academic mobility is the opportunity for students to continue their studies at another university for a certain period. Its main goal is to ensure the quality of Kazakhstani higher education in accordance with international standards and to increase its competitiveness. Since I entered the university, I have heard a lot about this program, but I haven't thought about participating. Because I didn't see any need for it, and there were many questions about this program at my university. In addition, after enrolling in the military department, it became impractical to apply for this program.
Instead, I have always dreamed of going to the United States through the Work and Travel program to travel and work. In my opinion, this program is much more effective than academic mobility. Because you can work, travel, see the world, and visit new places in a short time without any extra pressure, without worrying about grades, classes, or scholarships. I first heard about the Work and Travel program from my friends and immediately became interested in becoming a participant. But until now, it hasn't worked out due to family circumstances and personal difficulties. Now, I think it is the most suitable moment.
Next, I want to tell you why I want to participate in the Work and Travel program.
I remember how, after watching Netflix series for teenagers at 15-16 years old, I began to feel the American atmosphere and vibe. Seeing the lives of American students in series like "13 Reasons Why," "Sex Education," and "Riverdale," I wanted to feel the same freedom and courage. That's how my interest in America was awakened, and it grew even more through the Work and Travel program.
Later, after reading Jack London's books "Martin Eden," "Burning Daylight," and "The Sea-Wolf," my interest in seeing the real ocean and the mountains of Alaska, where Jack London himself searched for gold, grew even stronger. I developed a desire to see the power of America that inspired my favorite writer. Reading Nicholas Sparks' books like "The Notebook" and "The Best of Me," and watching the movies based on them, made a strong impression on me. The desire to know what inspired the author of my favorite romance novels, what kind of American power led him to write such beautiful books, turned into a dream of seeing America with my own eyes. I decided that I would start writing my own love story when I go to America and continue it upon returning home. For people like me who are just starting to learn the ins and outs of writing, traveling is an indispensable helper. Because, as the American writer Mark Twain said, travel is necessary for those who learn.
However, when I first told my parents that there was an opportunity to go to the USA through such a program to work, earn good money, and travel, they did not take it well. They didn't understand me and showed distrust. They said there were financial difficulties in the family. This was very hard for me. My whole dream seemed to collapse and break before my eyes. I felt like my favorite character from the books, Martin Eden. No one believes, no one understands, no one acknowledges, no support. But like Ruth, who became a hope for Martin to rise from the very bottom, this competition organized by the CMO is the last ray of hope and the last chance for me. I want to use this opportunity to prove myself to my parents, to show who I really am, how strong I am, and to make them acknowledge me. I want them to be truly proud of me. Yes, they can be understood; they worry about me, it takes a big risk to send a child abroad, there is distrust. But this distrust, the fact that my loved ones don't believe in me, is the biggest motivation for me.
By fulfilling these high dreams, I want to help my family improve their financial situation. I intend to pay off my parents' loans. And one of my main goals in going to work in America is to finish the book I have started writing, and God willing, spend part of the money I earn on publishing this book. As I mentioned above, it will be a book about love. But it will be completely different from the books of foreign or local authors. Even though it is my first book, I am writing it with such passion and motivation that I think it will be a great work. The idea of writing a book came to me after breaking up with a girl I had been dating for several years. At that time, I promised myself: "I will definitely write a book where we are together again and happy." I want to fulfill this promise I made to myself. To publish my book in Kazakhstan, I need at least 1 million tenge. If I work in America, I could invest that amount into my book at once. I think that for a student like me, saving such an amount in Kazakhstan would take too long.
When I first thought about Work and Travel, we dreamed of going together with my girlfriend. But due to certain reasons, we broke up, and this became an impossible dream for us. I heard that she is going to the Czech Republic this semester through academic mobility, and I was so happy for her. And I decided that our dreams can be fulfilled by me alone. Yes, even if I am alone, I want to walk the streets of Times Square, see the real ocean, and fulfill what we once dreamed of for the sake of the great love we had. They say that when you travel, you leave as one person and return as a completely different one; I believe that we both will travel, be abroad, change for the better, and maybe after some time, we will reunite as different people.
I think that if I win this competition and go to America, I will be able to fulfill all these thoughts and dreams. Because these things make my passion and motivation even higher and increase them even more. I feel like I am at the peak of self-confidence that I have never had before. I don't want my dream to break and fly away again, so I will give it my all. I am not a person who breaks under the trials and difficulties of life. I want to fight to the end for myself and my dream. And I want to thank the CMO team for giving me hope, opening the way to such opportunities, and organizing this competition. WITH LOVE, Dimash!!!