Obstacles and Perseverance

Venera Kalinina, a high school senior, enjoys spending time with her little brother as she prepares to go to college. Their childhoods were quite different. Her brother was born and has been raised in the US, and Venera was born in and emigrated from Russia. She described Astrakhan, her hometown, as a “desert and there’s not many opportunities there.” She and her mother immigrated when she was 6 years old, with her mother leaving behind her job as a surgeon to seek more opportunities in the US.

Before she left Russia, Venera’s mother did her best to teach her English, but it was hard since she was so young and no one else spoke it. When they came to the US, Venera started elementary school right away. It was extremely difficult because she could not communicate with her peers nor with her teacher. When she had questions, she was not able to ask them and she felt ostracized from her peers. Continuing through elementary school, things got better, but it was still difficult. Her mother’s way of raising her was different from that of her friends. She was not allowed to watch cartoon shows like SpongeBob because her mom thought the stupid humor would rub off on her. Her mother also struggled with language barriers, so she did not participate in parent school events. She did her best helping Venera in school, but her mother’s school experience was very different from the American school system.

Their everyday lives were so different compared to Russia. In Russia, almost everyone lived in apartments so it was shocking for Venera to see that most people live in houses here. Also, in Astrakhan there would often be friendly town cats that people would feed so she was confused when there were no cats here. 

She didn’t become fluent in English until the end of elementary school. Her ENL teacher (a teacher who helps students whose English is their second language) greatly helped her in this. Her classroom was a safe space for Venera in these difficult times. She had patience with her struggles, and Venera was with other students who were having the same problems, even if they spoke other languages. Venera even describes this teacher as a mentor-like role model for her. She continues to use the lessons' values that her teacher taught her.

All of Venera’s extended family still live in Russia and her family has kept close communication with them over the years. She has visited them a couple of times saying, “it’s interesting to look back on memories and places and compare them to when you were a kid.” Luckily the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has not affected her family’s town yet, but the possibility of it worries Venera. She plans to visit relatively soon because she misses her grandparents so much. 



Although she struggled so much at the beginning of her schooling, she now excels in school and is heavily involved in extracurricular activities. Her past problems have helped enforce a strong work ethic, which will continue into her college career. She and her brother have a considerable age gap, with him being 9. Venera often gives him advice when it comes to school and friendships based on her own experiences. Her struggles and how she has overcome them have built critical skills and characteristics in Venera that have made her into such a kind and inspirational young woman today.