You are here » Home » Telling Our Story
First Person
USAID program alumna
obtains a prestigious
job in well-known travel
agency
Business Knowledge Brings Success
Photo: Junior Achievement
Kristina Kolesnikova at her workplace.
“USAID-funded courses
helped me become more
determined and selfconfident. Thanks to these
qualities, I was able to
secure employment with
my current company,” said
Kristina Kolesnikova a
USAID program alumna.
Today Kristina Kolesnikova manages tourist programs at Ayan
Tourist and Travel Company, one of the leading tour operators
in Turkmenistan. The 19-year old says that she got this job
because of her participation in a USAID entrepreneurship
training program.
“Thanks to USAID-funded courses, I have not only acquired
valuable knowledge in economics and business, but also gained
leadership skills, became more determined and self-confident,”
she said. “These skills played a huge role at the job interview.”
Kolesnikova was a secondary school student when she first
came across the USAID-supported program. The program was
teaching economics and business programs at Kolesnikova’s
school, and she decided to enroll. The courses sparked the
teenager’s interest and encouraged her to consider business
management as a future career option. The program provided
Kolesnikova with a wide variety of knowledge and skills in
economics and business, and cultivated such personal qualities
as leadership, responsibility, communicability, and self-reliance.
“I was impressed how accessibly and clearly the USAID
program explained such complicated concepts as economics,
management, and business,” says Kolesnikova. “I am much
obliged to USAID for the opportunity to participate in these
courses.”
By the time Kolesnikova graduated from school, she was
determined to pursue jobs related to business and economics.
She soon came across a job advertisement from Ayan Tourist
and Travel Company, and submitted her application. Even
though Kolesnikova had no work experience in the travel
industry, and the competition for the position was steep, the
young woman was selected to fill the vacancy.
The new job keeps Kolesnikova busy, but she finds time to
participate in the alumni activities of the USAID program.
Together with other young professionals that had studied
business and entrepreneurship, Kolesnikova helps organize
and conduct events for young men and women interested in
economics, and promotes these programs to the country’s youth.
Print-friendly version of this page (533kb - PDF)
Click here for high-res photo
Back to Top ^
|
RSS Feed for Recent Telling Our Story Updates
