Oleg Kovalov From Ukraine

The I In Immigrant

Oleg is from Kyiv in Ukraine. With the countless hours of work that his parents put in, Oleg was able to go to school where he learned some basic English in a schooling system that did not promote the language at the time. He was able to move to America as a student-athlete playing basketball. He speaks about overcoming the challenge of speaking with an accent, by becoming a motivational speaker.

In order to face the challenges in his life Oleg talks about what was the motivation that kept him going. He wanted to eliminate the struggles in his life, and in the lives of his family members, and this was all going to be possible by making money and being a successful part of society.

Oleg talks about what immigrants face when they come to America and how people who are “different” from others may face struggles. These struggles can come from physical attributes or language. Oleg tells Ahmed that every person who faces these challenges needs to find a motivation to push them forward. They need to focus on the now and who they are in that moment in order to succeed.

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