Shavkhat Atabaev

Twenty-seven years old Step by Step (SbS) program alumnus Shavkhat Atabaev, from Kyrgyzstan, currently works as Deputy Director of Naryn's railway station. According to Shavkhat, the SbS program helped him to find ways to approach all type of people, communicating freely. 

Shavkhat, how was your SbS school class different from the others?
I studied my first four years at a SbS school. We used to attend the so called "centers", which were focused on specific subjects such as mathematics, drawing or language. Our class was well-equipped, and we could also make some science experiments there if it was needed. I remember that once we were trying to see if coal could dissolve in water. Even though we were young children, we learnt some serious things, and we enjoyed that. I think we also learned more than the children in the regular classes. I remember a funny story: once a woman inspector came to our class to check how our teacher worked, and she asked us how many watermelons can grow on a tree. We all answered that watermelons do not grow on trees, and she realized we had all understood the riddle she wanted to trick us with.  

What did you learn the most during the program?
From what I remember from the SbS program, our teacher did a lot of effort helping us develop the skills that she saw we could be talented at. I liked mathematics a lot and this good logical thinking that I learnt to develop in my early years at school, I apply now on my daily life. Eventually I studied to become a road engineer, and worked in that area for some years. Although I do not work as such anymore, my knowledge in this area helps me in my current work, as Deputy Director of the railway station. 

How did the program influence your growth?
I would say that the program helped me to communicate freely with anyone, without barriers. It provided me with good communication skills. I am also still in touch with people with whom I studied, and with some of them we remained close friends. I am just very sorry that the SbS program did not continue further, after the fourth grade. 

How was studying the fifth and the following grades different for you?
At that time, I thought that the education process in the fifth grade would be the same as I had before. I was very surprised to see how different it was. I liked to study in the centers more than in the regular classroom.