From a country located on the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia, bounded by the Caspian Sea, Inara Guliyeva traveled 6,319 miles to Helena for a year of studying abroad. With Russia to the North, Armenia, and Turkey to the West, and Iran to the South, her home of Azerbaijan is home to over 10 million.
From the capital city of Baku, Guliyeva is used to medieval architecture interspersed with famed contemporary landmarks like the infamous Flame Towers, three-pointed skyscrapers covered with LED screens.
Guliyeva’s country is rich in culture, spanning from ancient traditions to modern inventions. In Azerbaijan, food is a big element of this. Guliyeva explained that rice, meats like lamb, beef, and chicken, and sugary sweets like baklava (a layered pastry dessert with nuts and honey) are popular favorites with her people. While 97% of the country’s population is Muslim and foods like pork are considered unholy and not as common, Azerbaijan is not a Muslim country as they are a secular state.
The country has a long history of involvement with Europe’s famed song competition Eurovision– even hosting it back in 2012. Each participating country elects a performer to sing an original song live with competing countries then casting votes to determine the winner. Azerbaijan also largely participates with Formula One, the international auto racing event.
Guliyeva chose to become an exchange student because she wanted to learn to be more independent from her parents, pursue a personal goal of gaining a better education, and improve her English. Guliyeva simply “wanted to try new things” and start a new chapter. So, she traveled across the world to accomplish just that.
For Guliyeva, the application process for becoming an exchange student was already familiar to her and her family. “My sister applied for it three years ago, and I already knew what type of things that I have to go through because I already researched about it,” she explained.
The application process consisted of three steps: writing three essays in ten days, taking an English proficiency and altitude test, and filling out numerous applications, and interviewing for the spot. Student selections for the program were based on the English levels of the altitude test.
Guliyeva is here on the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program funded by the U.S. Department of State.
In Azerbaijan, the schooling system is distinctly different from what we know here in America. Rather than attending separate schools for different grade levels, students stay in the same school from first until eleventh grade with teachers rotating classes instead of students.
As Azerbaijan does not have a twelfth grade, Guliyeva’s year in America is acting as her gap year before future plans.
On the post-secondary level, universities in her home country only provide four-year degrees, unlike the three and two-year degrees provided here in America.
Since arriving in late August, Guliyeva’s time has been enticing and new, but she’s also seen herself having to “let go” of her previous life she noted.
Guliyeva remarked on how this drastic change from normalcy to a completely different style of life has been difficult for her. “Becoming more independent and problem-solving is the best thing I can do right now—I’m the one who’s in control right now of my life,” she explained.
As Guliyeva’s the youngest in her family, her parents “already went through that period of time when they had to let go of their children to go to university and pursue their careers [so] they were kind of ready for me to go. But I was not really ready,” she explained. Though distance and a time difference create a barrier for Guliyeva and her family and friends, she recognizes the importance of reciprocity and intention in her relationships. Every week Guliyeva has a video call with her family to catch up and maintain that connection.
Back home, Guliyeva was in an art school for four years and continues to enjoy listening to music which she loves to bond with her sister over. Guliyeva also loves reading, which she credits as having helped in her learning English. “I’m really proud of that, I really accomplished something that I wanted to do,” she explained. While here she wants to further this goal and continue to gain a larger and more precise English vocabulary.
From her time here in America, Guliyeva most importantly wants to gain leadership skills. “That’s what I’m here for” she said. “I want to be more open, active, friendly, [and] engaging.”
While here she wants to, “create many memories. I am here to create those memories.”
Guliyeva noted that she is “representing her country” whilst in America and would like to act almost as an ambassador of her country.
From everyone at Helena High, welcome Inara and gözəl bir il keçirin!
