Laura shares her deeply personal and transformative life story. She opens up about the struggles she faced in her early life, navigating the complexities of family dynamics and grappling with her sense of identity. Despite her best efforts, she faced numerous rejections from schools, a painful process that could have easily deterred her. The loss of her father added to her emotional burden, creating a sense of loss, confusion and uncertainty.
She describes how her challenges became what created her resilience and determination and grit. Through self-reflections, she reveals how her hardships shaped her character and that the cornerstone of her success was grit. Laura highlights how her journey through adversity not only empowered her to achieve her personal goals but also enabled her to inspire and assist others facing similar struggles.
Her talk is a testament to the transformative power of perseverance, the right mindset and inner strength. It serves as a powerful reminder that our greatest difficulties can be the foundation of our achievements.
Laura Vaigorova is the CEO and founder of SmarTestPrep. Laura was accepted into the esteemed Yale University, however, she decided to pursue her studies at Nazarbayev University, where she participated in an exchange program, which gave her the opportunity to travel to the United States twice to study. She also received her bachelor's and master's degrees. At the same time, she assisted fellow students with admission to international universities. This eventually evolved into the SmartTestPrep platform. Moreover, she also worked as an intern at Samruk-Kazyna Real Estate Fund and as a project manager at the Eurasia Foundation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx