Članak » Ivana želi dotaknuti svjetlucave zvijezde
Ivana Viani : My American Story
Ivana želi dotaknuti svjetlucave zvijezde
U utorak, 11. lipnja 2013. Ivana Viani održala je inspirativno predavanje o odrastanju u Hrvatskoj, životu u Americi te o važnosti motivacije i obrazovanja.
Maturirala je 1999. u požeškoj Gimnaziji, diplomirala psihologiju summa cum laude na sveučilištu Fairleigh Dickinson, Teaneck, NJ a ove jeseni započinje studij medicine na Harvardu u Bostonu, MA. Bavi se istraživačkim i volonterskim radom, članica je više počasnih društava, dobitnica značajnih nagrada i stipendija. Često putuje, piše i fotografira, te ima prijatelje sa svih kontinenata svijeta. Pobornica je globalnog obrazovanja.
Ako ste bili na Ivaninom predavanju, sigurni smo da vam se svidjelo. A ako niste mogli doći zbog zaključivanja ocjena i zbog ograničenog broja slobodnih mjesta, nastavite čitati i saznajte više o našoj dragoj gošći!
Ivana nas je svojom američkom pričom željela potaknuti da budemo još marljiviji, ustrajniji, intelektualno radoznaliji i humaniji, te da poput nje i sa sličnom strašću - volimo, sanjamo i djelujemo kako bi svijet učinili boljim i ljepšim.
Svoju je glavnu poruku zasnovala na dva citata koje je vrijedno zapamtiti jer ističu važnost povezivanja obrazovanja i talenta s upornošću i vjerom u ljepotu vlastitih snova.
„Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.“
Calvin Coolidge
„The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Sada se posvetimo činjenicama koje premašuju opseg ovog članka.
Želite li saznati nešto više o Ivani i sveučilištu Fairleigh Dickinson na kojem je diplomirala psihologiju, istražite ove tri zanimljive poveznice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWG_4XAtOR8
http://inside.fdu.edu/features/ivanaviani.html
A ako vas privlači pomisao na Harvard i studij medicine, svakako pogledajte dolje navedene web stranice i video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11vjnp-kug8
A sada dajmo riječ i našoj gošći.
Gimnazija Požega: Can you tell us a little about your experience speaking at our school last week?
Ivana Viani: I was immensely excited to be invited to speak at Gimnazija Pozega. I have such fond memories of my high school education. The main shift in the way I perceived the world occurred here. The faculty and staff were - and remain to be - tremendously devoted to students' progress. They expected us to be excellent, to work hard, and to make a significant positive contribution to humankind. Gimnazija Pozega provided me with a foundation of knowledge and study skills that empowered me to excel at institutions of higher education in the United States. I told students that they receive great education here. I encouraged them to be grateful for their professors. I don't know how I would have managed in the U.S. had I not learned English so well in prof. Cokrlic's class.
GP: After all these years, how did you feel about coming back to your high school as an American citizen and presenting in English language?
IV: I felt so welcome at Gimnazija Pozega - like I never left. I feel the same support and care from faculty now that I felt when I was a student here 14 years ago. I was initially worried that students at Gimnazija Pozega would not understand my presentation, but I had confidence that they would. My niece, Rebeka, who is a freshman here understands English so well, and I was really excited to see every single student raise his or her hand when I asked them to confirm they understood everything I said. This is a great testament to Croatian education.
GP: What are your thoughts about our new building?
IV: It is beautiful! I told my niece that if I was a student here, I would never want to leave school! The spaces are absolutely gorgeous, especially the library and the planetarium.
GP: Your speech centered around the importance of being persistent. Why do you think that quality overshadows everything else when it comes to achievement?
IV: Because without persistence, I wouldn't be where I am today! The message I wanted to convey to students at Gimnazija Pozega was that they can achieve their dreams. Do not give up. It isn't easy to get to a great place in life, however you define that, but it is so worth it. And a great part of that worth comes from the fact that it is difficult to achieve lofty goals. Through being tested, through facing challenges and overcoming them, through failing and getting up and trying again and again and again, you learn about yourself. The most rewarding thing about achieving a personal goal is not the goal itself, but the confidence one gains in being able to say: "I did that. It was difficult. It took longer than I thought. Things fell through and I had to rebuild them. But I persisted. I didn't give up. I believed in myself and in the importance of this goal, and I made it!" Inevitably, then, you are energized to wonder, "If I could achieve that, what else can I do?" Success begets success. It's a wonderful thing!
GP: Any final thoughts you’d like to share with students here?
IV: Understand that you are a part of something greater than you. This institution – the people who work here, the space that Gimnazija occupies, and your peers – all want you to succeed and go on and do great things. You are exceptionally well educated and supported here. The lessons I learned at Gimnazija Pozega go far beyond knowledge about science and humanities. I learned how to be a responsible citizen and an attentive scholar. These lessons shaped the person I grew into being. I would like to thank everyone at Gimnazija Pozega - students, faculty, and staff - for such a warm reception. I am humbled by your achievements and proud to be one of your alumni.
Evo to je bio kratki intervju s Ivanom. Završila ga je s puno skromnosti i zahvalnosti koju ste vjerujem osjetili i sami u svakoj do sada izgovorenoj riječi.
I na kraju što reći?
Nakon svih tih obvezujućih pohvala, ohrabrenja i visokih očekivanja, jedino što nam preostaje je - nastojati ih ispuniti!
Zahvaljujemo se Ivani što je došla s nama podijeliti svoja iskustva i što nas je tolike godine čuvala u srcu!
Pozivamo ju naravno da dođe ponovo. Ako ne prije, onda svakako s diplomom Harvarda, kako bi se zajedno veselili njenom novom uspjehu i kako bi nastavili surađivati i učiti jedni od drugih!
Dodatne informacije o Ivani možete pronaći i na 034 Portalu:
Autor: Dubravka Čokrlić & Ivana Viani
