SofiaJohnson
Nov 29, 2020
Undergraduate / UBC personal profile question on how you dealt with unfamiliar and difficult situation [5]
In 2013, my mother moved myself and my brother from a small town in Moscow to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo. I was pulled away from my Lyceum, my friends, and my ballet troupe; all things that defined me as a Russian teen. It was incredibly difficult to fit in with Canadian teenagers, especially since I did not speak English. In my first year, I was enrolled a year behind my peers, which made me very frustrated and alienated. I spent the year practicing English in all ways I could; I translated books and movies, overcame my fear of making new friends, and conversed with teachers. I worked only pronunciation and writing with my drama teacher and peers everyday. I felt very vulnerable because I was bullied for my accent, but I always remembered how hard my mother studied English in Moscow. I wanted to make her proud and after all my hard work, I was advanced to the next grade and successfully completed my proficiency tests. I learned how important it is to feel accepted and that hard work always pays off. I no longer have an accent and I have kept up my ambition to never give up.
difficulties to fit in
In 2013, my mother moved myself and my brother from a small town in Moscow to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo. I was pulled away from my Lyceum, my friends, and my ballet troupe; all things that defined me as a Russian teen. It was incredibly difficult to fit in with Canadian teenagers, especially since I did not speak English. In my first year, I was enrolled a year behind my peers, which made me very frustrated and alienated. I spent the year practicing English in all ways I could; I translated books and movies, overcame my fear of making new friends, and conversed with teachers. I worked only pronunciation and writing with my drama teacher and peers everyday. I felt very vulnerable because I was bullied for my accent, but I always remembered how hard my mother studied English in Moscow. I wanted to make her proud and after all my hard work, I was advanced to the next grade and successfully completed my proficiency tests. I learned how important it is to feel accepted and that hard work always pays off. I no longer have an accent and I have kept up my ambition to never give up.