Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother. She is my superhero. That's
why it's important for me to support women, to share their uniqueness, their personalities,
perspectives, and emotions about this world. In these difficult times in human history,
we need to bring the cultures of the world together. And when we listen to real lives
of people, of all women from other countries, we connect our humanity without our differences
or stereotypes and we get inspired by their stories to live a better life. That's what
this podcast is all about. My guest today is Anastasia Saryuk. Anastasia is a marketing
student at Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. She is fond of art, singing, and ballroom
dancing. She has been developing in these fields for 11 years and has many, many awards,
cups, and medals. Anastasia also does modeling and loves sports and cooking. And she is beginning
to learn about web design, social media management, and interior design, and could grow her skills
higher in these areas. Her current goal is to get a bachelor's degree in marketing in
Ukraine, then to go to improve her qualifications in the United States. Anastasia, how are you
today?
Thank you so much. I'm fine and also nice to meet you.
I'm honored. I'm happy. I'm lucky. And I'm very curious about you as a person. So I will
ask this nice question. If your friends could describe your personality, what would they
say about you?
If my friends will characterize me in three main characteristics, my character traits,
it would be fair, kind, and creative.
I love that. Let's begin one by one. To you, what is the meaning of being fair? How do
you show it? Is it something that you believe the world has? The world is fair or needs
more fairness? Tell me everything.
I don't know how to understand it, but I feel it with my heart. To be honest with everybody,
to be kind to everybody, not depending on some persons, maybe finance or other factors.
It's like my opinion.
Thank you. So if I understood you correctly, you see people and respect them based on their
humanity. You admire their soul and who they are rather than any superficial reasons that
are not part of their personality. And maybe some other people will respect them for that
because they have money or status. But to you, it's about the person themselves and
both being sincere, open, authentic, and honest. Did I understand correctly?
Yes, good.
Thank you. And tell me about your creative side. When it comes to creativity, is it about
singing? Is it about dancing? Or is it in everything you do, in your conversations,
in your school essays, in your daily life, you like to explore and use your creative
part of your personality?
Creativity is in every minute of my life. So if we talk about some school essays, I
don't do like copy and paste from Wikipedia. I try to add some more information, interesting
facts to build sentences even in an interesting way to make, for example, the audience enjoy
my speech or my paragraph, whatever. Also, if we make some projects in school, every
teacher knows that Nastya's work will be creative. And as I mentioned, it is one of my main character
traits. So creative associates with me. In my daily routine, also, I have some creative
things, as you mentioned, singing. I sing all the time when I'm washing the dishes,
I'm taking the shower, I'm writing something, I dance, I think, I draw. So in everything,
I think.
Thank you. I love that it's an important part of your personality. And why is creativity
important for you? Is it because you like to show your individuality, you like to feel
unique? Or is it because, like you said, you like to give pleasure to the audience to make
them enjoy their day a little bit more? Or is it about it's interesting and not boring
when it's something so creative? Or what is the reason that makes creativity so essential
for you?
So for me, it is a way to show my individuality and also a way to enjoy the life, to make
something boring, more creative to my mind. It's a real skill.
Thank you. And about creativity, since it's very important and to you, it's an expression
of your individuality. Is it really important for you to be individual and unique? And therefore,
when you speak to people and you're fair, what do you notice most about them? Is it
their energy and that is to you so unique and it's a way for them to be creatively
themselves because their energy is unique? Is it their stories and you try to learn from
their problems, their lessons, everything they did? Or is it just that connection when
you conversate with someone that you love the feeling of bonding and connecting with
another human being?
So when it comes to people, is it their unique energy? Is it their unique stories? Or is
it just the feeling of real connection that makes you really enjoy other people?
To be honest, I think that it is more about connection and bond with people because when
you treat them fairly, when you're kind, honest, sincere with people, you get the same reaction,
the feedback from them. And I treat people as I want to be treated. So it is important
for me to have bond with them.
Thank you. And therefore, I don't know how often you meet new people or even at Kyiv
Mohyla Academy if you had the opportunity to study offline. But there is some kind of
thing where a lot of Eastern European girls have a resting bitch face or poker face where
new people might think, oh my God, that girl looks so angry or so intimidating. But in
reality, you can be so kind and fair and positive. Did you have this issue? Do you have experiences
where people at first thought you look intimidating and angry, but in reality you're not? Or are
you a girl who's constantly smiling, showing openness and therefore you don't have this
problem?
I have experienced this a lot of times. So there are many situations when firstly people
thought that, oh, she's so intimidating, she has a poker face, or, I don't know, if I can
say that, a bitch face. And then when we come closer, when we have a conversation, they
say, oh, I didn't really think that you're so kind, that you're such a good person. I
don't know why. I'm trying to smile, but people think like that. I don't know the exact reason,
but maybe, I don't know. Really, I don't know why.
Thank you. And when it comes to people that you like to have in your life, are you looking
for people who are kind, similar to you, who are fair as well? Or you're more interested
in exciting people who maybe break some rules, take risks, and sometimes could be a little
rude, but it makes them exciting because they give you new emotions and a full range of
experiences.
Most kind of friends of familiar people to me, because I try to find the connection with
every person. If the person is good, honest with me, fair to me, and I can build a conversation,
I can be a depressed person. It doesn't matter if I try to be close to them and to find maybe
our interests that we can discuss. So, I'm really communicative.
Thank you. And you mentioned connection with other people. If you can describe it or explain
it, maybe someone is shy or introverted listening. How do you describe connection with other
people and what do you do to find it? Or is it like chemistry that cannot be explained,
but with some people you feel it and other people you just cannot feel that?
It's a really interesting question. Many of my friends have told me that I'm really good
in psychology. So, I in some way can find this way to have a bond with the person. But
I don't have the formula. Maybe it's a chemistry, maybe I'm good in psychological issues, but
I just try to pay attention to the interests of the person, to share some of my experience
and just to be positive, to be kind. And it helps in every situation. And maybe a kind
of chemistry also exists in these situations.
Thank you. And can you tell me more about modeling? I have interviewed a model before
who said to her modeling is about sharing good emotions with the people who will see
the photos that she feels she makes their day better. She can share some of her sunny
energy or good aesthetics or something. And to her, it motivates her a lot to know she's
giving them a moment to enjoy something that will make them feel in a better mood. Is this
something that motivates you about modeling? Or what is something interesting for you about
that?
I'm not very active in modeling now. Just when I am invited to show, I agree. And to
mention about emotions, I'm not sure that I motivate other people in that way, because
again, I'm not so active in this field. But I really enjoy the process. So I can show
for like eight hours and don't become exhausted. So it's a real pleasure for me. I think that
I can develop. But I wanted to become financially independent firstly, and then to develop my
other hobbies. Maybe in the future, I will do modeling more active. But now it is in
that way. Nevertheless, I really enjoy it.
Thank you. And I noticed you spoke about what you do now when trying to be more financially
independent and taking care of your studies. Can you describe what interests and activities
in addition to your studies are taking currently some of your time? Is it web design, social
media management and interior design? Is it dancing and professionally singing? Or nowadays,
if you could describe the things outside of studying that you do to keep your mental health,
to develop yourself, things that fascinate you and interest you, what are they?
Nowadays, actually, I can say immersed myself in my studies, in education, in university.
But step by step to do some more activities to develop my hobbies. So I do professional
singing now and go to stretching and also a little bit of dancing. But now not professionally
because it takes a lot of time, a lot of nerves and a lot of money. And the main that I don't
have this time because the education in uni is hard. After school, after 11 years of school,
I didn't get used to it. But in future, I want to take courses of social media marketing.
Thank you. And I understand you are in Ukraine and the situation is, of course, difficult.
I know the war started 10 years ago and then it became a full invasion on February 24th.
How was that day for you? How did you hear about the war? Did you believe it? Did you
not believe it? And how did your life and personality change in these seven or eight
months of this invasion and problems in Kiev and other parts of Ukraine?
So firstly, about how the day of February 24th started. Actually, before that week,
we had a lot of conversation with our classmates, with teachers. Everybody asked, do you believe
that war can start? And everybody said, no, of course, no, it's 21st century. How nowadays
the war? No, it's nonsense. And I was sure that it is impossible. But as we know, it
is possible. So I was sleeping in my bed. It was five o'clock and I didn't hear anything.
But my mom woke me up and said, like, you're not going to school today. I said, why? Some
holidays or what happens? Maybe the lockdown or what? The last my thought was about the
war. And she said, the war started. Like, how? Really? You are not joking? Are you kidding
me?
And then 24-7, it was news, news on TV, news on Telegram. It was hard to believe, really.
The hands were shaking. I just couldn't understand that it is a reality. And the first week of
war, we stayed in Kiev and were hiding with the whole family from the bombs and the rockets
in a bomb shelter in our house. And at some point, I really believed that my life would
end very soon. In every second, in every minute, it can happen. Because the rockets flew so
often and so close to us that the walls of the house and the windows were shaking. Then
we managed to get on the train. And it was like a real victory because there were no
tickets, no seats. In the train, people slept standing up and it was filled with people.
There was no space to breathe even. It was a disaster. And then we moved to Bulgaria.
We have the apartments in this country. It was really hard to leave relatives because
we moved only with my mom. But after a month, the situation in our city became more safe,
if we can say so. Of course, now it is not safe. And then it wasn't safe. But a little
bit. Firstly, when I saw the tanks from my window, I was shocked. The shocked is not
the right word. I can't even explain this feeling. And I had problems with my nerves.
No breakdowns. And it was really scary. Now it is much better because the attacks are
not so often like with rockets. But the problems with electricity appear. And also, we don't
know what is going to be in the winter. But we are trying to stay positive.
I can feel the emotions and how difficult and shocking it was for you and for every
Ukrainian. And all I can say is Slava Ukraini!
Heroin Slava!
Thank you, Anastasia, for your thoughts, for sharing your truth. Thank you for participating
in this project. I wish for you success. I wish for Ukraine peace and victory. And I
wish you always more positive and better days.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
