Y O U T H №1
#GENERATION_Z
Z : Wa s i t d i f f i c u l t f o r y o u t o
integrate into a new culture
not
ordinary
for
Russians?
Ilya: I ‘ve always been at home
among strangers, and a stranger
a m o n g m y o w n . N a t u r a l l y, a f t e r
five years of living in America,
I re t u r n t o R u s s i a a s a s t r a n g e r,
but in the USA I am still not my
own. I came there with a purpose.
Thousands of people come here
to
realize
their
dreams;
I’m
not unique in this sense. When
you arrive to America, you find
yourself in a kind of melting
pot, and you don’t feel like an
alien from another planet. For
e x a m p l e , i n N e w Yo r k , I h a v e t h e
Z: Good morning, Ilya! I am really appreciated that you agreed to give opportunity to meet people from
a t a l k . To d a y o u r c o n v e r s a t i o n w i l l b e d e v o t e d t o t h e q u e s t i o n s a b o u t anywhere in the world. A typical
your targets for the future, life in the USA and changes that have life in my city is when your taxi
o c c u r r e d s i n c e y o u h a v e l e f t h o m e l a n d . To s t a r t w i t h , I w o u l d l i k e t o driver is Indian, colleague is
ask, Ilya «before and after» America, what is the main difference? Italian, roommate is American,
a n d f i n a l l y, y o u r g i r l f r i e n d i s
Ilya: Before leaving, I was an ordinary guy from Samara who studied at a Colombian.
good school, played football and was not very different from his peers. this city! There’s always room
have always been a social person, but it was hard to call me the soul of the for
c o m p a n y. A m e r i c a l i b e r a t e d m e a n d g a v e m e a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e l i e v e i n Within
myself.
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I
It is the main change that America has brought to my life.
That’s why I love
everyone
on
reason,
this planet.
of course.
To d a y
I understand that five years ago my family let me out from the parental Z : Yo u s a i d e a r l i e r t h a t y o u
home, they believed in me and gave a chance to realize my potential. came
Everything else depends on me. Since then, I am floating in this crazy particular purpose.
stream with millions of possibilities. I hope that one day I will be able to you understand that you want
f i n d m y w a y a n d p l a c e i n t h i s w o r l d , m y H a r b o r, c o m f o r t a b l e a n d p l e a s a n t . to work in the financial sphere?
to
America
with
a
When did
«Being a f inanc ie r
in New York s ou nds
pretty sexy. . . »
Ilya:
Why
exactly
finance?
F i r s t , I h a v e a l w a y s d r e a m e d o f g e tt i n g
into a profession that is well paid.
I mean, I know that sounds cliché,
but you know that played a decisive
r o l e i n t h e c h o i c e o f f i e l d s o f s t u d y.
I remember how my father used to
joke that when I grow up, I will leave
f o r N e w Yo r k a n d b e c o m e a t r a d e r ,
although neither he nor I at that time
had any idea what this is all about.
B u t s o u n d s p r e tt y g o o d , d o e s n ’ t i t ?
When I moved to America, I already
knew that I wanted to study next
t o N e w Yo r k , a n d t h e p r e s e n c e i n
this city already inclines you in the
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