Hi everyone! My name is Akerke Kuanysh, and I’m so excited to be part of this class. I’m an international graduate student from Kazakhstan, currently studying Information Technology at Florida State University. This is my first year at FSU and also my first year living in the USA. It’s been such an exciting and challenging journey!
Before coming to the USA, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and worked in IT. My work was mostly focused on technical tasks like programming and managing systems. I thought I would stay in IT forever, but life had other plans after I had my daughter. In Kazakhstan, maternity leave lasts up to three years (yes, three years!). I was planning to take a long break, but when my daughter was seven months old, something unexpected happened.
The company I used to work for—an educational organization that prepared students for international exams—was facing an emergency. All their salespeople were unavailable just before the start of a big flow of new groups. One salesperson went on maternity leave, another had a family emergency, and others faced serious health issues. Suddenly, they needed help, and even though I did not have experience in sales, I decided to give it a try. At least, I thought it was not so serious. I would be here for just a few days until they found a professional sales team.
The first day, I was nervous and only made three calls—but two people signed up! By the second day, six more students joined. I realized how much I loved talking to people, helping them find what they needed, and making a difference. Over time, I became a Sales Manager, and eventually, I was promoted to Sales Director. Within nine months, I helped the company increase sales by 155%. I also used my IT background to make processes more efficient, which taught me how much I enjoy combining IT and business.
That’s why, I decided to return to IT with another purpose since I wanted to bring together my technical skills and my passion for business. FSU’s IT program is perfect for me because it focuses on how technology can be applied to improve real-world challenges, like efficiency and customer satisfaction.
One class I’m particularly excited about is Digital Media: Concepts and Production. I hope to learn how to create engaging and effective digital content, which will help me in my current project: sharing information about studying in the USA with people back home in Kazakhstan. You can take a look at my content on Instagram. My goal for this course is learning how to create engaging and professional digital media content. A few days ago, I uploaded my first long video about my apartment in Tallahassee.
I’m really looking forward to learning from everyone in this class and sharing ideas. Let’s make this semester a great one!
Hi Akerke, welcome to the United States, and to FSU! Your daughter is so adorable, and I loved your apartment tour video–those amenities look amazing; especially that coffee machine.
Your sales journey was so inspiring; it sounds like you found your calling in a truly unexpected way, and made a huge impact. I’m sure your old team must miss you. I admire that you were willing to step into an uncomfortable situation when your company needed more hands on deck. I believe they might describe that as an Agile mindset, in corporate lingo!
Hello Akerke,
It’s nice to read other stories about women who work in IT! Welcome to FSU and Tallahassee! I have been wondering what the inside of that apartment building looked like as I drive by it on my way to work. It looks amazing! FSU ITS is always posting jobs! Also I do content creation as well for work and in my personal life as well. I’m excited to learn more video editing techniques as well.
Hey Akerke! I am beyond amazed at international students; the courage it takes to move somewhere completely new to study is enormous. I hope the rest of your stay continues without any difficulties. You seem to be someone who faces problems head-on. Reading how you stepped up for your company while they were having a difficult time while on maternity leave nonetheless shows you have a can-do attitude. Taking a peek at your Instagram, I was able to see your video and other content. It seems your goal is already complete on how to create engaging digital media content. I see this is your first year at FSU as well. I hope we can continue this journey together and wish you the best!