by Kadisha Mukhamejanova, March 23, 2017    

After another quarter as a KCT scholar, I sit and think about a lot of changes that have happened in my life after coming back from my study abroad program. The scholarship has accelerated my ability to achieve certain self-development skills and has elevated my motivation to reach my new goals. There is always a certain change in your perception when you return to common places after you have been somewhere else.

I noticed that I became a better person with expanded ideology who now has a sufficient amount of energy to keep up with my classes and include more projects outside of school. Throughout this quarter, I had a chance to devote more time for additional school activities. In fact, I had an incredible chance to participate in the James McGuire’s Business Plan Competition. I need to say that it has been one of the best business related experiences I have ever had; my study abroad experience has helped me a lot in terms of communication with people coming from different countries in my team.

The project itself tested my ability to multitask and manage my time more efficiently. No doubt, it was a challenge to combine classes and project-strict deadlines, however, I learned an important lesson: a well organized person will always find time to accomplish whatever he or she wants. Moreover, it had a positive impact on my life outside of school.

As soon as I started to manage my time more effectively, I finally found time for self-development. Specifically, I created a new habit of reading an hour a day. As a matter of fact, my favorite book so far is Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends and Influence People”. I strongly agree with one of his thoughts, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” It is fascinating when you can implement concepts from a book into your life, and they really work out! In fact, self-development books and reading in general helped me greatly at attaining skills that add up to my personality and make me more of a professional that can handle a smart conversation. Looking back to the days when I only thought to apply for this scholarship, I realize that most of what I have and what I am now may not have not been achieved.