What have you learned from your adoption process? What good has come from it? 

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I learned people don’t determine my worth, God does; that people will fail you, but God won’t. Having been given up by my birth mother, and my first adoptive mother, I wondered what was wrong with me that made people not love me. It wasn’t until I experienced the unconditional love of my forever family that I was able to believe in myself. And when they taught me to forgive those who hurt me, I felt victorious, not victimized. My journey is who I am, and I want to encourage others facing rejection and insecurities to not give up on themselves, because our trials are part of a masterpiece that can only be created as we go through them.

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Tell us about your birth country. 

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My birth country is Kazakhstan. It is across the world with bordering countries of Russia and China. I don’t remember much about anything but the orphanage. I remember freezing snow and a lot of it. I must have been a bad child, because I was beaten a lot. But I must have been a good child for a family to pick me as the child they wanted to adopt. These were the kinds of thoughts I had as a child. I never felt like I had an identity until I was loved unconditionally, which gave me the bravery to step out and be myself. My mother dreams of making a trip to Kazakhstan one day, because she never got to see where I came from since they adopted me after I had been brought to the United States by my first adoptive family. I think it would be a little cool to make a visit myself, but Texas will always be my home. We have brought a little bit of Kazakhstan to East Texas through some handmade traditional dresses a seamstress made for me in Kazakhstan. They are very tribal and fun to have as a memorial of my birth country. 

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With UIL District, Regional and State honors and as a USA Sectionals qualifier, how rigorous is your training? 

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My training seems insane to most people. I swim every weekday except Sunday, and three days I swim morning and evening. My morning practices start at 5:30 AM, and my evening practices are after school. I also have to maintain a healthy diet. That means preparing meals for the day so I don’t end up eating junk on the run, but eat enough to fuel my body for swim. Finally, I have to have plenty of rest. That means earlier bedtimes than most teenagers. It is challenging to the social life, but I’m willing to make sacrifices to become a better competitive swimmer. 

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Tell us a little bit about how you maintain a 3.95 GPA with all your swim training?

 

Because of my late start with the English language, and my unstable childhood, I have had to play “catch-up” most of my school years. It hasn’t been easy. I study a lot. It requires discipline. I have to make the most of every minute, and find times throughout the day to study because “all-nighters” are not an option with swim. It’s simple, I work hard for that GPA. 

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Can you explain the Bags of Love charity and what it means to you? 

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This is a charity started by a lady who grew up in the foster care system. Her testimony is of being moved from place to place with her belongings in trash bags. She has made it her mission to provide duffle bags filled with supplies to foster children. Her motto is, “No Kid Deserves a Trash Bag.” When I heard about this charity, I knew I wanted to help. I knew what this felt like. When my first adoption was terminated, some of my belongings were transported in trash bags. No child should be made to feel like trash. I have volunteered by stuffing bags, and am proud to have been a part of the advertising for this charity. We both have decided not to trash our testimonies. 

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What does it mean for you to work at the Boys and Girls Club as a certified lifeguard and teaching swim lessons?

 

All of my team practices are at the Boys and Girls Club, and between that, work, and teaching swim lessons, I feel like I spend half of my life there. My first job was cleaning bathrooms. But, after completing their program to certify as a lifeguard, my responsibilities have grown. Plus, they are very accommodating with my schedule. I’m grateful for the opportunities the Boys and Girls Club have given me to train and work in the sport I love. 

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What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today? 

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Never stop trusting God. There will be times when that will be really hard, but He created us for a reason and has a plan our lives. Another thing I would advise is to have a good support system. For me, this quickly became my forever parents. They are always there for me, and I found that when I let myself trust people again, they helped me get through some of the toughest times with unconditional love. The last piece of advice I would give is to admit when you need help. This was the hardest thing for me because I did not trust others to see me as weak. After all I had been through, I had a chip on my shoulder. However, I made my situation worse when I refused to let people in. I had to learn that no one is perfect, but there will always be good people around wanting to help. Don’t let bitterness take hold; forgive and let others love on you. Don’t waste time being angry at your past. Take pride in overcoming, then work hard on worthy goals. 

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Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans for the future? 

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In five years, I hope to still be swimming competitively, which means at the highest levels. I hope to have a bachelors from Texas A&M University by then, and I also see myself eventually coaching swim. I also unexpectedly discovered I have a passion for psychology through an entry level college course. When I first enrolled in this class, I was nervous because I heard it was difficult. The first time I opened the textbook, I freaked out because I didn’t understand most of what I read. It was this class, however, that revealed to me my passion for studying the social behavior of others. Having been adopted twice and mentally abused as a child, I was very interested in understanding why I reacted differently than most people would have given the same situation. I learned there are reasons people respond to situations as they do. In the future, I want to learn more about those responses to be able to help other children overcome adversity instead of giving up. In five years, I hope to have found my niche in a career that combines my interests in coaching and psychology. 

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What about you inspires others/why do you think you are inspiring? 

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I have just lived my life the best I knew how as all the challenges hit me. I think that through my story and everything in my life, it shows God and His glory. This will always be inspiring to people because it helps give others hope. Discovering God’s purpose has taught me that God loves the orphan, but somebody has to be the orphan. Instead of asking, why me? I’ve learned to ask, with expectation, why not me?! Am I always up? No. I have definitely been, and can still get, discouraged. But I have learned that not being discouraged cannot be the goal. That’s unrealistic. The goal is to keep getting back up. 

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What is your favorite activity or pastime that wasn’t in your nomination? 

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Swim does not allow much for pastime activity, but I have enjoyed a little success with a modeling hobby. One thing that stands out is my Charm cover. When I first came to my forever home, I fell in love with a local magazine, Charm East Texas. I got to know and love a lot about my new community through this magazine. I dreamed of having my picture in there one day, because that would mean I was truly part of the East Texas family, and family is a big deal to me. Well, not only did my dream come true, I made the cover. What an honor that was. I am a proud East Texas family member. 

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How do you keep yourself organized with everything you have on your plate?

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Maybe feeling so out of control as a child created somewhat of a control freak. I also can not stand to be still, so I keep my days full, and being disorganized, I discovered, did not work well. It took a few years in a stable home to figure out how to stay organized, but now I understand this is a necessary skill for success. I could not function without keeping a calendar. I write everything down and I prioritize. Swim, school and work; in that order;) 

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Who do you find inspiring? 

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My mom has called me her “little Joseph” from the first day we met. She says, like Joseph, in the Bible, I have known rejection and betrayal. But, like Joseph, I have a special purpose. I really like Joseph. He represents how I want to be known – unbreakable. 

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Do you have a hidden talent? What is it? 

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If I had to name a “hidden talent”, I suppose it would be mentoring younger children. I seem to have the personality for dealing with children – both in my church activities and in swim. I have taught younger children in both arenas, and we all seem to benefit from my involvement with them. 

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Pizza or Tacos? Soda or Water? Cats or Dogs? 

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Lots of water, and Jimmy Johns 

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3 Things on your bucket list 

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I want to adopt I want to skydive I want to travel the world.

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Anything else you’d like to tell us? 

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My first adoption ended tragically. I was not told I was leaving the family until the day I was sent away. I never saw it coming and had no choice. I was not given a chance to say goodbye to anyone who had been a part of the past four years of my life. It was painful and I was terrified. Since then, I have been so blessed to reconnect with some very important people from that time in my life – including my godmother and my second grade teacher. They helped me reconnect with my school family by arranging an after-school reunion party. It was a great time of healing. They encouraged me so much and it felt good to finally have some closure.