E052 Daria Shcherbak

Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:00 your femininity is powerful in all its forms, exceptional women, rare girls must be appreciated in every way for their perspectives, actions, thoughts and their unique ways of being. Such rare girls are inspiring. And this is what this podcast is all about. Hello, my name is Aziz and my guest today is Daria scherbak. Dasha is a candidate Master of Sports of gymnastics, a champion of Luhansk region, and the team member of Luhansk region in Ukraine. Dasha has diverse achievements in law Olympiads, chemistry Olympiads, and she loves sports and rowing. Currently, she is in Switzerland, learning the German language. And beginning to be a student of cybersecurity at Kharkiv. National University of radio electronic Dasha, how are you today? Daria Shcherbak 1:14 Hello, I'm okay, thank you. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:16 I'm happy, I can hear the positivity and good mood in your voice today. So if your friends were to describe your personality, what would they say about you? Daria Shcherbak 1:29 I think they will describe me like really organized person. kind, friendly. And maybe shy? Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:40 Oh, I have so many questions. But I'll begin with the shy and friendly. Does this mean you have a bit of faith? Where like people think you'll look so serious and angry even if you're happy or positive inside? Daria Shcherbak 1:56 Oh, no, I don't think that I look strange. I think it's because in some situation I hear I'm really silent person. And so maybe because so this many people can say that I am shy. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:12 Thank you. That's very interesting, usually. And since you draw you do sports, people who are shy, have a lot of thoughts, a big imagination, a very rich personality inside. Is this correct about you? Daria Shcherbak 2:27 I think yes. I have a really big imagination. That's why I like to draw, for example, a land of water flowers. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:41 Tell me more about that. How is your imagination? Are you sometimes daydreaming and dreaming about travel the future different scenarios? Or are you always seeing the world and imagining different scenes and things like that? How is it like if someone could live one day, inside the imagination of Dasha, how would we see that big imagination, Daria Shcherbak 3:09 I seen that if someone will start will have a day, which is with my imagination, it will be very with bright colors. Because I'm really a dreamer. I can call myself like this. Because I have a bigger dreams for my future. And I'm an optimist. I believe in badger says that everything will be okay. And nothing bad will happen in my life and the life of my family and friends. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:44 I'm happy about that. And as a shy person when you went to a new country like Switzerland, did you successfully make new friends? Did you find it difficult? How did you start new communication with new people? Daria Shcherbak 4:01 It's sometimes it was hard to but because of language barrier, I don't think that my English is so good. And that has a lot of mistakes when I'm speaking. And I sometimes worry about that. Another person will not understand me, and we will have misunderstanding. And so that's why I started learning German language. But it was only maybe first month when I came now. It is better with the German language of course and I started to speak fluently in English. I'm just trying to be myself without any masks. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 4:47 I like that do you feel when you communicate with a lot of people, especially the younger generation who grew up in the pandemic, and then the war maybe they feel awkward about communication Do you feel they have a mask? Or are they not so good that communication or you feel? No, they're good because of so much texting, they know how to communicate comfortably and be open. Daria Shcherbak 5:14 I'm trying to understand every person because why, you know, it's really hard, and it's hurt now and you hurt all my life and for every Ukrainians, and I'm trying to support person, because this is really, because of people personally can have some psychological, psychological disorders, or problems. So I'm just trying to understand person. And if I know that, if I see some strange behavior or reaction I understand that is seen we show them to start to speak about it, or continue to speak about it. Because it's hard for us persons not comfortable for me. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 6:08 Thank you. And moving from the row Luan region to Switzerland. How different is it? How were the first day is? Did it look different? Or did it all look like Europe? Or the nature everything? How did you feel? And how would you compare what you have seen and lived when you are a Luhansk? I don't mean the buildings? Of course, they're different. But how was it? Daria Shcherbak 6:35 When I came first say firstly. First my reaction was I was really missing Ukraine and my home. And all my friends because they, I had no friends. But now I have, there is so beautiful nature, environment. People are really friendly, they support you. They understand your problems that you didn't came here because you just want to rest on it was really hard cetacean in your country. And they really understand you and trying to support. And I'm really appreciated that as a year held by us, and behavior like this. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 7:28 Thank you. I like this. And I remember you wanted to study in a university outside of Ukraine yet you chose to study in Hargrave Why Why not in Switzerland, maybe you could have had the opportunity. So why did you choose that specific university, Daria Shcherbak 7:48 I wanted to start the in Ukraine and sell maybe took part in program to for exchange students student from Ukraine to another country. But I also would like to study in schweiss or Switzerland. But it's really expensive and costly. And I don't have a have now enough language level because I need to see one for my studying there. But there are a lot of programs for Ukrainian students who have already and first course in a Korean university, but I just entered street. So it's not possible for me. But there is a whole Shula it's German world, it's mean. Like school is where you can study a profession like a go who didn't know electrical or engineer, you can work and study. And so you have to gather practice and studying. So I think that this year i It will better if I started to learn to study in Ukraine and learn professions that I hear you understand better in Ukrainian not an English because I think that for me, it's hard to study programmieren in not mine in English or in US language. It will be better if I will study it in Ukrainian or Russian. So I decided to do I exist and I combine I will combine studying their German language and so next year I'm planning to study maybe in German, or in Switzerland, I will see how I will have which progress I will have in my German, and how I will study in Ukraine. Because I am worried that if I didn't start start studying in Ukraine this year, I will have no opportunity to do this next year. And I decided to if I wanted to study in Ukraine, I will continue this my goal, and we will study start my studying this year. Thank you. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 10:35 That's very, very smart. And as someone with a lot of imagination and big imagination, do you feel you can use it when programming and in cybersecurity, or why not choosing something more artistic, like software designer, or UI UX or even really an artist, Daria Shcherbak 11:00 I choose a cybersecurity, because I like to solve for some difficult problems and control year in any protests. Designer, sir, web design develop. I think that maybe sometime I will try this. This part of programmieren I think I decided to choose the cover security because it's now attracted to me more than other. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 11:36 Thank you. And you are a candidate, Master of Sports of gymnastics? Do you still work on your skills? When you are there in Switzerland? Do you still find time? And the team and a gym to improve? Or how would you do with that, because any months without training could be a reason to not complete the Master of Sports of gymnastics. Daria Shcherbak 12:01 Unfortunately, I will. I'm have no opportunity to get go complete my master's sport, because I have planned to do it in March or April. But because of this situation, I have no opportunity. In Switzerland, in my city where I'm located. There is no any gymnastics section where I can concede my training. And it's really really closely because you know, this country is really costly. And we have some problems with leaving money, you know, it's because of the typical refugee from Ukraine. But we're trying to leave. So genetic. I'm continuing my training, outside in sport. Places no sports, outdoor, not in a gym, but I'm planning to find some gym in September, October, October, and continue my training there but not it will not be genetic. It just a real Vsport. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:21 Thank you. And can you tell me about February 24? How was that first day when you heard about the war? The invasion? How did you feel? What did you do? Tell me the story. Daria Shcherbak 13:35 It was the day as I remember all my life. You know that this situation has started in 2014. And is you know, all not all local territory for God's creation was occupied in 2014. My GCT was related to Ukraine. And in 2014, I remember all these explosions, I heard them but luckily, nothing wasn't my CD. But I remember all the shorts. And this year 2020 to 24th of February. I'm just preparing for my school day. And I woke up from explosion and sound from rockets that was upper my house. My mother had seen it from the window. And I just first my reaction was oh mom, it was just five rocks. You are joking. But she said no. It's it's a war. It's like eight years ago, it started but I believe that no, nothing will happen. It's it's just it's real stuff of course but now it is I have seen a message from my school teacher, she says that we all need to stay home, maybe a home, go to some places where we can save us. But I, what I had hoped that maybe next week, we will continue our study in school, or just continue our study in from, from our laptops. But it wasn't like this. And I was staying at my CTO for a really long time. But when my house wasn't in a good shape for a living, we had to leave our town. And now it's occupied it. And it's, it's hurt, that almost cities destroyed at all. There is no water, gas and light for four months. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 16:04 Thank you very, very much. And I know how difficult that whole experience is. And I'm really curious why Switzerland because a lot of Ukrainians went to maybe Poland, maybe even Germany, different places where there are many Ukrainians. Why did you and your family choose Switzerland? Daria Shcherbak 16:27 I don't actually know why. But firstly, we, when we arrived from Ukraine, we was in Russia, with our friends, because it was the only way to stay safe. Because in all my territory is was it was really hard. A lot of fire and explosions. And it will, it was more safety to arrive from Russia. And our friend from my CTO, reviewbuzz visa and as our friends in Russia, and they just found that they says we can live through lots, Lea Estonia. And in Poland, there is a booster that can go was to Switzerland. And there was no a lot of futures. And we read it good conditions for us. And we know actually that we will have a good place for labor. We are not living in a shelter and with other people from Ukraine, we have good place, is it? We know that there are people who can meet us and provide all the services we need to continue our living. But we have no any information about us as countries. So we just find it and decided to choose this route. Road. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:16 Thank you. And do you have friends who stayed in Ukraine? What do they tell you about the situation there? What do they say to you? How do you think about it? Because the war continued now for six months. I mean, of course I understand the war is eight years and more. But I mean, the US invasion? Daria Shcherbak 18:39 Yes, I have friends in Ukraine. And I'm planning to return home. Because I really like my country. And I think it's the best country for leaving for me. My friends, as I have all of my friends from cities, they have no place to return. Because really all the city is destroyed. And they move into Ukraine in other places because they have some friends or place where to stay. They have a lot of warning every day every time. But we all believe that every single day. Okay, and we will meet again and see it as a Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 19:31 thank you and tell me do you still draw? Does it help you keep your mental health? How do you keep yourself from too much stress being a refugee and like you said it's so costly to be in Switzerland and you're learning a new language and we are trying to both have an education in Ukraine and move your education abroad and the war and not being at home etc. How do you keep yourself mentally stable. Daria Shcherbak 20:02 I don't think that drawing helped me to be not stressful. I just I started a new hobby, I'm, I have a new hobby, I started to paint on my laptop. And in future I would like to buy maybe a tablet for drawing because it's it's more convenient to draw. Not without a mouse, not with the help of a mouse, but with the help of pen to be a more mental stain. I don't know, actually, I'm just believed that everything will be okay. And if I'm alive, still, it means that life is preparing for me such goods future that I'm really strong. And as the people who continue their life, they are really strong because it's really hard situation. I still can't believe but I'm trying to continue my life as others person. All problems we will solve later. We are alive. And it's the most important things. I think. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 21:22 I agree with you 100%. And since you want to be a cybersecurity expert, you want to learn programming. Are you a logical girl, or even though you want this inside you're full of emotions, your love, drama and watching like I don't know, serial killer documentaries, and all that stuff. Daria Shcherbak 21:44 I'm really emotional person. And I can do some mistakes because of my emotions. But my favorite subjects to was always maths physics. And I like this. I like this field. I just took over security because it's interesting for me to build algorithms. Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 22:13 Thank you so much Dasha. This was such an interesting conversation. I really wish you success. I wish you to find even a hidden gymnastics gym to continue your training. I wish your family peace and all I can say is Slava grainy. Daria Shcherbak 22:32 Thank you, Graham Slava.