Soro's Story

Today, I am privileged to share from Central Asia, Soro’s dream of becoming a teacher.

One of my biggest dreams, is that ever since I was in Kindergarten, I wanted to become an English teacher. When I was in Kindergarten, I saw the other teachers and was inspired by them. I thought to myself, “Right now, I am small. I can’t teach, but I want to teach.” So during my primary, elementary, and secondary years, I focused on observing the other teachers: how they taught, what their approaches were towards students, what their appearances were, and how they explained different subjects and concepts on the chalkboard.

I have always loved helping people and sharing new information or knowledge with others. As I grew up, this desire and passion to become a teacher continued to grow stronger and stronger. Unlike some, who maybe start pursuing a career or passion and then change their mind, I never changed my mind. I was focused and determined to become what I was passionate about. Unfortunately though, once I finished secondary school, my parents did not support my dream to become a teacher. They wanted me to work somewhere else where I could earn more money. They told me, “If you earn more money, you will love your profession more.”

I moved away from home to the capital city, and my mom would call me every day saying “you need to apply to a technical college.” She told me to just do it for two years and then if I didn’t like it I could pursue my dreams in teaching. So I went ahead to the Technical College, where I ended up studying for 3.5 years, didn’t like it, and moved to Russia for a season. Honestly, it feels like I wasted those years.

Upon coming back to Tajikistan for two years, I began taking English courses at the University of Central Asia, and then furthered my studies at the Tajik Technical University, receiving my diploma after 4 years. I had English courses from beginning to advanced levels, as well as business English at the University. After this, I started actually being able to teach. Around this time, I noticed so many people around me simply going to work everyday and not actually enjoying their jobs. Even though I had worked past jobs as a receptionist, and translator, neither of them gave me the same fulfillment and compared to how much I have loved being able to teach.

Now, It makes me so happy to be able to go to work and teach every day. I am so glad that I didn’t change my mind to pursue something where I maybe would be earning more money but wouldn’t really be loving what I am doing. I think being able to pursue teaching is one of the best things that has happened in my life and I think if there ever comes a day where I can’t teach, I will be very sad.

Today, Soro has been teaching for 11 years, has received a Master’s degree in Teaching English from the Tajik Pedagogical University, and has experience teaching all ages from 5-85. Her encouragement to others who are struggling with deciding what they want to become while dealing with the strong opinions of parents, is to pursue what is in your heart and what you are talented and interested in. She knows some may feel like they don’t have a choice and can’t tell their parents “no” to what they want. So her message to the parents is, “I want to encourage you to never force your children to work in a profession or become something based on your own interests and talents. Your children are unique and have their own interests and talents— please encourage them in pursuing them, and allow them to choose for themselves what it is they would like to become.”