Yuliia Kabina

LOST TO THIS WORLD AND FOUND IN ANOTHER

With a book in hands and oblivious to what happens around is the way most people see me. Few know what the deal really is - I'm on a quest for knowledge.

As I was learning how to read, I randomly picked up short stories, plays, novels, poems, encyclopedias, folk tales, and myths, exploring the mysteries these magical portals revealed to me. Neatly arranged on the bookshelves and continuously piling up on every surface sturdy enough to carry their weight, they invited me to take on a journey through different times and places. The more I read, the more I learned about world, the more questions I had. That's why choosing my career path was not a choice, really, but rather following my heart.

Having graduated as an English Language and Literature major, it felt natural to stay at my alma mater, share what I've learned with others, and answer some questions, inevitably generating more. Such inquisitiveness led me to the realm of African American literature I knew absolutely nothing about as it has never been taught to me. I heard Maya Angelou's “Phenomenal Woman” at some literary discussion I watched and it turned my world upside down. I wanted to know more, but no one at my university could answer any of my questions. Instead, they advised to write a Fulbright research proposal that, in case I get the grant, will allow me to study this topic. I wrote, I got, I study.

As I'm diving deeper into this realm, I don't know what happens when I turn another page. But I'm sure there will be more questions, more research and more exciting discoveries.