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Jul 09, 2018 Conversation EXPLO Pre-College + Career

Meet Maksym from Poland

For first-time EXPLO student Maksym, obstacles are simply opportunities in disguise. Although far from home and in an environment full of new challenges, he's applying the skills he already has to maximize his experience, improve his English, and make new friends.

Marie-Simone Kadurira

For first-time EXPLO student Maksym, obstacles are simply opportunities in disguise. Although far from home and in an environment full of new challenges, he's applying the skills he already has to maximize his experience, improve his English, and make new friends.

On a typical day like today, I would most probably be either windsurfing, as it is summer. But if it was winter, I would be skiing. These sports were introduced to me by my parents; it is kind of a family tradition I would say, I have been doing it my entire life.

I obviously am unable to do these sports here at EXPLO, but I believe there are skills that I gain from these sports that I can apply to my everyday life. You see, when you are out on the water or on the snow, you are working with things that are typically seen as barriers in life. So, for instance, outside of windsurfing, wind is a deterrent that most people would avoid. However, in order to be successful in windsurfing you have to learn to work with the wind. I have found that the idea of taking advantage of what may seem to be an obstacle to be very valuable in life. You sometimes get things that present themselves as challenges, but if you look at them through a different lens, you could realize that it could actually work to your advantage.

I came to EXPLO not very good at English, and that presented itself initially as a challenge. But I have used my willingness to learn English to help me make many friends here. My English has improved drastically, and I think I could say this is because I turned a challenge into a tool.

Marie-Simone Kadurira