When people ask me where I come from and hear “Kazakhstan” in response, I notice a slight emotion of confusion on their faces. Some of them will simply go with “Ok, it is nice to meet you“, others will even get curious, “Is that somewhere in Russia?”, and still others will simply inquire where in the world such country is located. Kazakhstan is not the only such blank place on the world map that many Westerners have little idea about. As I wanted to tell the world more about my home country, I became interested in the issue of global community awareness. It is even more important to me now as I am about to apply for a program in International Relations at Dartmouth College, which I believe will open up some avenues for me to make a difference in that regard.
Global community awareness is when people consider themselves the vital part of the global fraternity of nations. So as to have fulfilling relationships with each other, every member of this fraternity has the obligation to get to know, respect, and enrich other members with the new knowledge about one another. My goal therefore is to make people know more about Kazakhstan, its democratic progress, wonderful people, and rich cultural background. And when someone here in the US asks me where I come from, I never lose the chance to tell them more about my home country and thus make my little contribution to global community awareness. I know it takes a strong leader to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk. For that reason, I have taken a keen interest in international politics and journalism to gain better understanding of how beneficial ideas spread in the world. I have been polishing my leadership skills as High School President, where I learned how to work with others and achieve immediate student goals.
I realize that it is not an easy task to pursue such a seemingly vague idea as global community awareness. However, it is my deepest conviction that global community awareness starts locally – from one’s town or college. In my future professional career as a non-profit or public activist, I will continue pursuing my greatest goal step-by-step and make the world a more familiar place to live in. And, I believe, DartmouthCollege will give me the necessary knowledge and contacts to move closer to my dream.