In Their Words: Ksenya Kryliouk
Name: Ksenya Kryliouk
Department/ Major: Sociology
What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? Sociology of Race, Class and Gender Senior Thesis Award
What is you anticipated graduation year: Class of 2016
College: Kresge College
Where do you call home? San Jose, CA
With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?
What stood out to me about UCSC, other than the natural beauty of the campus, were the wide variety of programs and resources that are available for the students to assist them both in the personal and academic spheres of their lives. I also found it to be a very serene educational environment, a place where I could escape from the city life and carry out my studies and research in a tranquil atmosphere.
What is your field of focus? I have graduated with a B.A. in sociology with a field-study focus in the interdisciplinary components of social and legal advocacy regarding the issues of sexual and domestic violence, as well as health and medicine within the legal, social and ethical realms.
What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?
I’m hoping to attend graduate school in the east coast and attain my M.S. in health science.
What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?
I remember during my 1st year here, I was having a really deep conversation with my housemate, who was a 4th year student at that time. She told me about her experience as a college student and passed down her words of wisdom to me, in which her wonderful advice has helped me to overcome many challenges and obstacles during my time here.
What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?
I know many parents of incoming students don’t necessarily want to hear a college graduate say this to their child, but it’s something that I wish someone had told me from the very beginning: If you fail, it’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. Don’t be so hard on yourself or put yourself down about it because one failure does not hinder the success of your future—Failure is not a tattoo, rather it’s just a bruise. For many, it’s a part of the learning process and experience. It’s an element that requires acceptance, personal evaluation and retrial. I know it’s much easier said than done, but keep on trying until you make it. Graduation and success won’t be a simple linear pathway, in all honesty it’s a very exhausting and draining roller coaster journey—one that will make the stresses of high school look like a piece of cake. However, it’s also important to put yourself first and take care of yourself for your own physical, mental and emotional well-being. There are so many wonderful resources out there that will help you both in the personal and academic realms so that you won’t go through your difficulties alone and will always have support behind you every step of the way. Last but not least, do the readings and go to office hours.
How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?
First off, I would like to say that I’m very honored to be a recipient of the Sociology of Race, Class and Gender Senior Thesis Award. This scholarship will have a positive impact on my academic life and research by contributing to the financial aspect of my pathway through graduate school. It will go towards acquiring new skills and knowledge there that I will then apply to the practices of the real world with the means of giving back to the community.
