Through hardships to the stars Introduction & why I decided to participate: To start, let me introduce myself. My name is Diana, I am 23 years old. I am a third-year full-time student at the Faculty of Pedagogy, specializing in two foreign languages: English and Korean, at the International Taraz Innovation Institute in the city of Taraz. At the moment, I have no experience participating in student exchange programs, and this is exactly what motivated me to take part. I am one of those people who is afraid to say "yes" to something new and unknown, but this time I am saying "yes" and looking my fears and anxieties in the face. I am curious about what awaits me, and I don't want to regret missed opportunities. I always thought that I wasn't ready enough: "I'll gain experience and then I'll start," "I'll master English to the maximum and then I'll go"—those were my thoughts. But now I think differently: "Life is short and you shouldn't put everything on the back burner, do it right now!" Jump in at the moment when you feel scared and you are ready to run away! You can improve everything else along the way. It was scary, it will always be scary, but that's what makes it interesting. The thought of international experience, new acquaintances, a change of scenery, new people, customs, and life makes my heart beat faster. One of the main reasons why I am participating in the program is that I want to grow as a person. And I have no doubt that during these three months spent outside my comfort zone, growth will definitely happen. I haven't been studying English for that long, since 2020. I had a clear goal and a daily plan that I have selflessly followed all this time. Thanks to two years of hard work and friends around the world who helped me develop my speaking skills (thanks guys!), I quickly leveled up my speaking & listening. During my journey into the world of English, thousands of apps were downloaded (Memrise/Cake/HelloTalk/Grammarly/U-Dictionary) and thousands of movies and series were watched, from which I remember Secret life of Walter Mitty/Hidden Figures/In Time/Coach Carter. I highly recommend using all of this for self-study. I left other aspects like writing and reading for dessert. I learned about the program from my classmate who went on it in 2021 and got a bunch of impressions and emotions. The only obstacle for me was the payment and the fact that at that time I had already finished my studies and managed to get a bachelor's degree in tourism. Since I quickly realized that this field was not for me, I decided to take a risk and change my specialization. I enrolled in the major "Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages" so as not to do what I don't like in the future. Taking a gap year, I earned money for my studies, simultaneously went to a speaking club, and built my personal life. There were, of course, many ups and downs (especially downs), but I am grateful to them; maybe not completely, but they helped me form as a person and understand exactly what I want in life. What I hope to learn & how the program will help me in the future: I think that the Work and Travel program will help me improve qualities such as self-confidence, responsibility, and creativity. I want to develop my leadership, mentoring, and problem-solving skills in combination with strengthening my knowledge of the English language. I want to learn more about the culture, the values of Americans, see how they live, what they cherish, and what ordinary US citizens dream about. In addition, I believe that W&T will help me improve my professional skills necessary to achieve my career goals and gain international experience, networking, and will teach me to adapt quickly and inspire me not to be afraid to take an active position in society in the future. I am sure that as a future teacher of foreign languages, I will have something to tell and something to teach my students. I would like to continue helping people as a teacher, volunteer, and publi


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