Scholars in the Arts
"I am fascinated by the breadth of Art History and by how painting teaches a culture about itself."
Scholars Around the World
Two JKCF Scholars organize a 15-day study tour to Bolivia to explore the country’s political economy, peoples and rural development
Shamil Mirzoev
“Living in a Communist society and constantly going through hardships and financial difficulties, I developed a strong desire to succeed when I immigrated to this country. Through hard work and an ability to see an opportunity in every challenge, I have transformed myself from being “non-college material” (in the eyes of many) into a competitive student.”
- Program: 2009 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: N/A
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Business
- Other Interests: Nonprofits, Philosophy, Religion, Sports, Tutoring / Mentoring, Volunteer Work
Biography
PROFILE: Shamil Mirzoev grew up in Makhachkala, Russia, a large city on the shores of the Caspian Sea. As a boy he would climb the Caucasus Mountains and remembers the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment once he reached the summit. It is the same feeling of accomplishment he experienced when he received his associates degree, just five years after immigrating to America with limited English skills and very little in the way of material goods. If there is such a thing as an American success story, it is Shamil. Academic success and community involvement were his strong points at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) and the college community quickly embraced him. It was not easy for Shamil, but hardly anything in life that is truly important comes easy. Working menial jobs just to survive and spending as much free time as possible in an adult literacy center, it became clear to Shamil that to succeed he would have to go to college. He worked double-time to master English, enrolled in RCTC, and maintained a perfect 4.0 average while working full-time and volunteering in the community and with student organizations.
INSPIRATION: Shamil is grateful to many of his college instructors, but singles out his advisor, Teresa Tolmie, who helped “many of us blossom into the best students we can be.”
ASPIRATION: Shamil’s dream is to establish and sponsor an international school for orphans from poor nations.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: At the Rochester Adult Literacy Center where Shamil learned to speak English and where he first began to think about college, he was disappointed that there weren’t any college-level textbooks available to review. In the past two years, to help other immigrants who are taking classes there, Shamil has donated more than 500 college level textbooks and 25 calculators to the center.
ACCOLADES: At RCTC, Shamil was named both a Guistwhite Scholar and a Coca-Cola Gold Scholar. He also received an Adult and Family Literacy Program Certificate of Recognition for Volunteer Service.
INTERESTING FACT: The first time Shamil tasted ice cream was when he was 16. "For some reason, I just could not eat it until then."
Other Scholars Like Shamil
Dijon Olave
College Scholar
Connecticut College
Hyungtae Kim
College Scholar
Columbia University
Michaelle Tauson
Graduate Scholar
University of Denver
Theophilus Offei
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Southern California