Episode Transcript
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:08
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 Alina Slobodan Alina is a delegate of Ukraine at the European youth, Parliament, AYP and a marketing student at give mohila Academy in Ukraine, which is the University of her dreams. Alina feels that her vocation is sharing experiences and motivating others to reach their goals. That's why she decided to start teaching the Ukrainian language to help. Last year school students pass the exam with the highest grades, which is something she truly enjoys. Over the last two years, Alina was a school president. So her and her team were able to bring changes to their environment and school and she cannot imagine her life without being a very active person taken part in various activities like workshops, lectures, volunteering, and many others. And this summer was her first time as a delegate on the European Youth Parliament national session, she is glad to have met so many interesting people from many other countries. And during May and June, she created her very first course for preparing for exams, and most of the costs she sent to the army of Ukraine, the defenders of her country, because now they need the most support Alina, how are you today?
Alina Slobodian 2:15
Thank you. I'm feeling amazing. And thank you for inviting here.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:20
I'm happy on Earth. Glad to have you here. And I'm curious about you. So I'll begin with this question. If your friends were to describe your personality, what would they say about you? Well,
Alina Slobodian 2:36
I guess if you asked my friends about me, the first thing they will say is extra active person, always looking for new opportunities to share experience to gain you experience to learn something new, and to take part in some significant events for Ukraine and for my CD and first year students. So there's the first thing and the second, I would go in always ready to help others. And that's how about me,
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:13
I love that. And thank you. And I'll begin with this. What motivates you to be extra active?
Alina Slobodian 3:21
I think this goes for my child who was because actually I was extra shy person, extra shy child. But then I learned that I can take part in such activity to help more experienced that I can just gain from school as since because I always wanted more. And I decided to take part in activities in which other students for example, didn't take any part. So I started to have for example, dance lessons, English lessons, and then I get familiar with school. Egg to like group parliament. We have a bowel movement in my school. So I wanted to become an important person here to share interests of students in school to bring changes and that's why I entered school parliament and then became president of school. And that was really a great opportunity for me because if you become a president of school, you become a leader or you like district because we have so many districts in here and every districts have has his own opportunity his own like membership of school leaders. And for them there are more opportunity to study for example, I have studied school mediation, it's about psychology and conflict ology. And it's for government costs. So it was free for me, but extra interesting. And I'm really glad to have this opportunity. And that's when we won. We always go volunteering, for example, ecology events, when we clean parks, and how different quests, we learn something new from workshops. And that was really a great experience. And actually, I have always imagined myself in the front of audience, doing something to them, which can motivate other people to do more. And that's why I decided to take part as much as they can, because that's just my best way of life.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 6:04
I love that. And I am curious about something, what is your productivity method to be involved in so many things without burning out?
Alina Slobodian 6:15
The truth is, you just can't be everywhere without burning out. Sometimes it happens. But what I've taught me is that when you are burned out, you just need You just must to have rest, and then continue, because people just cannot work without breaks cannot work without rest. Because it's all about productivity gets well and well. And you just need to have rakes. You just need to have, for example, meeting with your friends, spending time with your family, just reading just watching something just relaxing and doing nothing. It's okay. It's not about not productive time. It's about what you can do for yourself. Because if you do reach out for others, then you need to do something for yourself to keep that energy.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 7:17
I like that. And you mentioned that it's really inspiring for you to see yourself at the stage saying things that motivate people. Can you talk more about that? And you as a girl who grew up shy? What made you have this dream? And what do you think creates motivation and other people? Is it to tell your stories of overcoming struggles? Is it big emotions and big words? Is it when you have a vision and a project and you want them to be involved? Or what do you believe is the thing that someone can say on a stage that motivates people to do more to achieve more goals?
Alina Slobodian 8:02
I think it's the most about your own experience. Because people do have to learn from other experience. Rather than for example, reading books, or some states some rules is just boring. They want to see a person, not just words, or not just a picture. It should be a live person telling about his or her own experience, about my way, I think the main thing make made me such an a goat or an outgoing person is my blog, because I decided to start my blog when I was maybe 13. And it was really nonprofessional. And sometimes I just have a look at my recent forecasts. And my boss, for example, three years ago, I'm just Oh, that was me. But that's my own story about becoming. And now I'm really glad to have an opportunity to share my experience to audience and almost every day, I really have messages from other people that I am inspiring someone and that inspires me because it's just like, energy exchange ideas, energy to my audience and my audience is given energy to me. I share for example, I'm going to for example, I went to one bookshop, which now has an opportunity to you can bring books in Russian or Russian books to them, and it will be given for recycling and costs from recycling will be given to our military. And that's very great. And I share this experience, I share other experience, some events I'm taking part in, and that motivates other people to be active, as well. So I'm just gaining energy from them. Why would they are gaining energy from me?
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 10:28
Thank you. And when you meet people and the different workshops or events that you yp, etc? Do you notice, for example, that you are interested in other people who are very active who have goals who have passion in life? And do you feel such people are more rare, or because you're so involved in so many activities, you see them and find them all the time,
Alina Slobodian 10:57
I'm really inspired from people from this, our workshops and activities, because that's not about like school less. And when every student, it's just, okay, I went here just because I do need it. But I'm bored, I don't want workshops and activities are not about it. If you want to enter the workshop, you need to be really motivated. It's optional, but you really need to have an motivation to go there. Because it's only your choice, not choice of your school or your parents. And that's the main change, main difference between people who are really motivated and who can be inspiring, and people who don't want to share experience and gain your experience. So at all these activities, I always meet real inspiring people. One girl, for example, and the university in Poland. And that's really inspired me because not every person can do that. Other people can make and create their own projects to help, for example, Ukrainian refugees, I met a girl from Poland while I was at AYP, Krakow. And that was inspiring for me, because students, as young as I am, really want to do more, or we want to improve this word, this word to help others. And that inspires me to do more. I'm telling them about my experience my projects, and we're just proud of each other because we always have something to discuss, and to share experience. And the main thing, you're just not held to be scared to share your own experience. And not to be scared to learn from other people. Because it's just like a social stereotype. You do need to do everything by yourself. But now that doesn't work you can you can gain more experience from other people. And that's really cool.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:34
Thank you. I really, really like that very, very much. And you mentioned that the people who are going to the workshops and events are choosing to go there. While maybe students when they go to school or university they have to answer they're not as motivated. Do you believe it's better if the educational system allowed people to choose what to study? So everybody's choosing without obligation? Or do you know or believe there is a way to inspire people and it's your goal, so that you motivate them to do and understand why such things are important and exciting even in the beginning? Maybe they didn't see it that way.
Alina Slobodian 14:20
The first thing I want to say is that really a lot depends on the teacher or the tutor because if you have such a bad teacher who can't explain you, why is the topic important? Or why is the topic should be started just he or she telling you the material and you are sitting and like, why am I here? I don't want to be here. Why that person? Just tell Aren't we about something, I don't understand anything. And that's really bad. And that's really a problem because sometimes I met teachers that aren't inspiring you, they just doing their job to, I don't know, make money or to have a job, I don't know. But it's not about the way the education should be. Now, I am, like, teaching other, but I'm doing it just because I do love it, I do have to share experience. And the best thing, I believe, is that I'm doing it, to motivate others to really learn some more, to gain their goals. And to just go and go without tapping, to be efficient, and to believe that they can. And that's the thing, for example, in Ukraine, schools, education is wack are because you always learn and read a lot of information. But sometimes you just can't see whether it's important for you. And it will be better if in school, we could choose what subjects we do need to study and what we don't need, not from the first grade. But for example, as years of school, you really can say that, for example, I didn't need physics, or something like that, because I have chosen marketing, or I have chosen Philology, or et cetera. And you just don't need some subjects. Because you are focusing on the subjects you will pass as an exam, and you need to enter the university and you will need in future, of course, it's a really good and I don't mind studying areas in for example, for five or six year of school because it's about our world. It's about how it goes just but you don't need to know everything. And people just can't know everything. So the system can be improved. If talking about universities, I actually can't say proper because I haven't been a student before. I'm only becoming. But I think in this situation is your advisor here. But we should notice if the teacher is right, if the teacher really can not just explain to students the material, but to motivate them.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:07
Thank you and mentioned in universities, maybe people from other countries don't understand what interests you so much in Kyiv Mohyla Academy, but why was it your dream? What's important about that university? And how did you hear about it so that this dream began in your mind?
Alina Slobodian 18:29
Thank you for this question. Because it's really interesting story and I do have it because for me, can you Mahela Academy is special, just because it's located on contract contract of worship. And this place is a place of my childhood because here I had my bedroom dance classes. And I do do our displays and I do have now then I just want to go there. And when I was at my the year school before the last year, I came across an account on Instagram of the girl from the city near Harco. Her name is Alina as well, and she decided to enter the university of Chioma Hua Academy. And then she entered. She really inspired me a lot because she entered for Ukrainian philology. And she's teaching now as well. And she shares a lot about this university and one thing I really love is there is no corruption at all, and it's important for me because I'm really ready to go Learn, I'm really ready to work a lot. And there shouldn't be any place to corruption and bureaucracy. And, but the best thing is that Chioma Hua Academy is about people. It's one of the best universities in Ukraine, and people there are really inspired to change Ukraine are inspired to work, even the work is not for salary, not for good marks. But for other people. I have never heard that any other university health for example, if you enter the university, some students who are currently studying help, like they go, the first year, students fresh, and when fresh are coming, other students are helping them to find the right building, to fill in the documents. And they are given even stickers of students organizations. And that's so cute. And everyone is one to is wanting to help you with everything. Because you are a bit scared when you first come into university. But everyone is really glad to see you here seeing you members. And it's like one big family of give more who are guiding me students. And that's what I really like.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 21:42
I can hear in your voice, the optimism and the inspiration. And I love that and I wish all the success for you at the same time. Of course, the situation in Ukraine is not now so positive after the invasion and the deaths and destruction. So I want to ask the other side. And of course, I want you to always stay positive and optimistic otherwise, you will be depressed and unable to be active. So tell me about February 24. How was that day for you? How did you hear about the explosions or the news? Tell me the story.
Alina Slobodian 22:22
Of course. My February 24 began from earlier than ever, because usually I used to get up at 7:50am. But that day, I suddenly got up earlier about 6:30am I don't know why. It's just like something magical. I didn't know. But I just walked into the window. See it's the sun is rising. So okay, I have enough time to sleep a bit more. But I was anxious. And then I'm really proud of my mom, because she didn't say the first thing to me like the war started. Now. She just came into my room and said to me that you just don't need to go to school today. And that was the best thing that day I could really hear this morning because I thought maybe they just want to make sure we are safe because not every school in Kiel has shelter and my school didn't have and doesn't have now. So with all risks, it was really more safe to everyone to stay home that day. And then I heard that a fire alarm from the window first time in my wife and my mom said that the war started and this morning my father from late night was called to go to his work because he's a doctor and they were needed doctors because all that was near Keo and in key of soap. We were a bit scared. And from that time maybe some hours we heard more shots. And that was really frightening by but my first emotion was not fear. But they're few and oh responsibility that I need to stay as serious as they can and as calm as they can just because now I'm here around with my mom. And I need to stay just before just because we need to support each other. And that moment I really felt I get older for so many years.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 25:21
Yes, it's a really horrible situation. All I can say is love our grainy
