I sit and look out the window at the falling snow
And think about how I can make a breakthrough,
One like those two unknown eccentrics,
Who broke away from the Soviet Union to New York.
And in their pockets, eight bucks for the two of them
And a bunch of rainbow hopes and dreams,
Enough for great success.
I sit and look out the window at the falling snow
And think about how somewhere far away,
Ten thousand kilometers away,
Where the Atlantic is, and bays, and inlets,
And territories with a four-century history;
There are palm trees there, and skyscrapers,
And even beaches amidst the concrete and glass.
There are Chinatowns and Little Italy,
Or you can just call it a neighborhood.
There is the Statue of Liberty with a torch in her hand
And a waterfall that gives the city energy,
And the White House, and the Grand Canyon, and the state of Nevada.
I will see all this, not in a dream!
Hello, everyone reading my story!
My name is
Tomiris and in exactly 20 days (as of this writing) I will be 18. I am a first-year student of the West Kazakhstan Innovative Technological University in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. In the future I will become a specialized translator.
Since childhood I liked studying languages, their features, noting the beauty of each, but I was especially interested in English. I began to learn it from the age of seven years and participated in many competitions, both in the city, and in the national. In grade 11 I dreamed of going to America, and began to prepare hard for the international exam IELTS in March 2022. I got 5.5 points when the threshold was 6.0. But I am not discouraged, I took the experience with gratitude because I improved my English to the upper-intermediate level while preparing for the exam. I think that today it is one of my most important achievements: an official confirmation of my knowledge by the British Council.
Further I hasten to inform that by the time I am years old, I already have quite a good experience in the HoReCa sphere. In tenth and eleventh grades during summer vacation I worked as a waitress at a food court and, even in that position, I successfully used my knowledge of English while communicating with
English-speaking guests at the establishment. Why did I decide to participate?
Last May my brother Darkhan flew to America, Massachusetts under the
Work&Travel program through your company and I was inspired by the idea. I started reading stories of guys from all over the world about their trip, what interesting people they met there, how they realized their dream, some even stayed to work there. This is my first reason for wanting to go there: to get to know their culture, customs and traditions, and to talk about ours. This program will allow me not only to earn money, but also to explore the country, make friends from all over the world and traditions, and to talk about ours, to explore the country, make friends from all over the world and gain professional experience. Secondly, but no less important reason, to study English in more depth, communicating in it with native speakers, and considering that there are so many accents in the U.S. language as there are people living there, this experience is absolutely invaluable. Thirdly, all of this learning can be combined with work, as I will have to constantly be in that environment with only English spoken around you. Moreover, I will get and develop my new skills in order to develop competencies in different areas, I have a goal to earn decent money or capital that will help me to pay for my studies and make my parents happy. I want to give them everything they gave me. They have always believed in me, supported all my endeavors and been there for me. I want them to be proud of me. And most importantly, being in the United States, I will be promoting my country's recognition, culture, traditions, and customs. After all, my country is the 9th largest country in the world! Also, if I have a chance, I will participate in official, cultural, social events held by the
Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States.
How the participation in the program will help me in my future career?
This program is the foundation of my career. Any experience in different areas is valuable. Taking into consideration the features of the Work&Travel program, I conclude that working and traveling is a great option for students to develop their horizons, communication skills, and mobility. Firstly, the program will give me personally the opportunity to learn how my peers from different countries of the world live and develop, their interests, hobbies and skills. Secondly, the program will help me to see what the life of Americans consists of and how their society as a whole is organized. Also, I plan to take
English courses to retake IELTS and to prove to myself that everything is possible if you try hard. I'm sure it will come in handy in the future and won't be unnecessary in my portfolio. Since I'm a future translator, I need to improve my knowledge every day. The English-speaking environment will help me immerse myself in the language. My native language will be relegated to the background and I will be forced to use only English. And because I will communicate with native speakers it will improve my speaking skills, pronunciation, listening comprehension of original speech. Third, I will have the opportunity to make new and useful acquaintances that can later serve as a foundation for finding a better-paying job, as well as the opportunity to return to the U.S. as a visiting guest. This is an opportunity to see the world and expand your horizons, to begin to develop in a new way. All of the above opportunities I get from W&T give me a huge, invaluable experience in developing my career as a most sought-after professional - translator. But for me personally, it is a unique chance to improve my knowledge of English, develop my phonetics and grammar, and see the world. I will also be able to understand the history of the country and its culture, everyday life and traditions.
My experience is a funny episode related to youth travel.
This story is about how I went with friends to Samara with $7 for five people. In October we were out with friends and having fun as usual, when suddenly Dmitry (one of my friends) suggested that we go to Samara for one day in his Zhiguli. I supported the idea, and everyone agreed. In 4 hours, we were already standing at the border and playing UNO in the car. In the morning we were already there and walking along the promenade. The city amazed us with its magnificence. How many amazing architectural compositions in it, the landscape of their nature amazed me. We climed mountains and went to the cave. I have never been to Russia before and I want to note that there is a completely different way of life, and despite the fact that everyone speaks
Russian, it felt like I speak with some kind of accent. It made me laugh most of all how my friends and I tried to buy food for everyone, since we only had
$7 in our pockets. We had no connection or internet to contact the family and ask them to send money. We bought the cheapest Chinese noodles, asked for boiling water at a local diner, and ate it on Kuibyshev Square. In the evening we headed back home, we drove back in silence. Under the impression of what we saw, of new emotions, everyone just slept. I and my friends in another city had a wonderful day, which I will remember for the rest of my life.
Thank you all for your attention.
P.S.: I hope and believe in my victory.
