Sabina Issabek

Determination and creativity helped 22-year-old Sabina win the Yessenov Foundation competition and a scholarship named after a Kazakh academician. And now the girl has passed the last exams, she is finishing her bachelor’s degree in NU. Sabina (22) is from Aktau, the girl grew up in a large family, and she aspires to become a doctor.

What is your most vivid childhood memory?
I remember my grandmother teaching me how to rollerblade when I was four or five. She doesn’t know how to rollerblade herself, so she basically taught me how to fall and get up properly. I remember it every time I rollerblade. My grandmother was always ready to help me learn something new. By the way, she still works.

Why and how did you choose biology?
In biology, we learn about ourselves at all levels: from the molecular to the organism as a whole. I have always been interested in questions about us as living beings, and biology helps to answer these questions. I like to learn both well-known concepts and conduct research in the laboratory. In the future, I would like to use this knowledge to help people as a doctor.

And why did you decide to compete for the Yessenov scholarship?
I needed the funds to pass the test that is required to apply to medical school. Cost of preparation, exam fee, travel expenses… I kept thinking about how to get so much money, because I didn’t work. And then I received a letter from my university, it was said about the competition for the Yessenov Scholarship, and I decided to participate.

What was particularly memorable about the contest?
The second stage. Although it was held online, we had a serious interview with a psychologist and representatives of the foundation. The questions that psychologist asked were like an interesting game. I’ve never had anything like this in my life before. Unusual questions, unusual experiences.

What helped you win?
Probably, the possibility to present my personal qualities. I answered honestly, approached the tasks creatively, and was able to demonstrate that I treat my work with passion and confidence.

What advice can you give to people who take part in such contests or are hesitant to apply?
Don’t be afraid to participate! Even if you lose, you will get valuable experience, it will help you in other competitions, it will help you in life. Show the commission what kind of person you are, both in the essay and in the interview, and be honest. Check all the requirements of the contest. Some people forget to submit some documents, and it seems that this is a common mistake, because some do not even make it to the final because of this.

What would you like to do next after completing your bachelor’s degree?
Medicine. I applied for the Doctor of Medicine program at the School of Medicine. I’m waiting for the results now. I want to practice and conduct researches.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Watch Korean movies, especially historical ones like “Battle” (2019) and “Astronomy: Heaven’s Gate” (2019), because I’ve been studying Korean for three years now.