My name is Emőke, and I was born and raised in Hungary. I’m currently 21 years old and have graduated from the University of Szeged just a couple of months ago. I was studying English and American Philology with a specialization in Business English and really enjoyed my major. My initial motivation was to start studying English Philology because I really enjoyed learning about different cultures and had a good brain for languages as well. During my studies, I got introduced to various new ideas and theories that have shaped me into the person that I am today.
One such field was the whole world of philosophy, which I had close to zero experience with before university. I think I will forever remember how excited I was for each philosophy class, and how I was so interested in it that I would even join classes that were held during night hours, just to hear the professor talk about all the interesting ideas of all those great philosophers.
Another field that I am really thankful I got introduced to is linguistics. I know that for a lot of people linguistics is quite boring, but I think if someone is really interested in languages and cultures then they will enjoy linguistics as well since it is a great combination of the two. My interest in linguistics has actually led me to write my thesis in this field too, titled “Switching from in-person classes to online classes: How a sudden shift in foreign language teaching methodology influences student’s emotions”.
My business classes were also a big motivation for me to continue my studies because we were not only learning about ideas, but were also encouraged to think about how they work in real life, and sometimes we would even act out certain situations in class. My studies in this field led me to the decision that I would like to work in a position connected to business, and I am very happy to say that I was lucky enough to make this dream come true.
When people ask me how I got my first position at AbilityMatrix, I like to say that the position found me. October 2020 was quite an uncertain time for the whole world with the pandemic, and although my original plan was to find a part-time position relevant to my studies, I was not actively looking for one. One day one of my friends sent me a post titled “AbilityMatrix is looking for interns!”, I sent in my application, and the rest is history.
I remember the surreal feeling that came after each realization that I might actually get the job. I have never had any business-related work experience before my time at AbilityMatrix, which is why I think it was so hard to believe that I am actually opening this new chapter of my life.
During my time here, I have done a lot of personal development: the way I recognize my strengths and weaknesses, form my own opinions, and get things done has changed a lot in a relatively short amount of time, without me even realizing it. I truly believe that this was possible because I am surrounded by inspiring people that are happy to share their insights with one another, and also want to see each other’s progress.
I would’ve never thought that only after just 10 months here I would get a promotion, it is actually still hard to believe that this is real life. AbilityMatrix did not only gave me my first ever business position, but also my first full-time position. I am really thankful that I got to experience all of this with a group of open-minded, flexible, and friendly people. I am very excited to continue my personal development with the team and to go on with this very rewarding journey.
In my free time, I really enjoy reading, biking in nature, or keeping myself busy with something creative. I like to figure out my own designs and put them on canvas bags or notebooks. When the pandemic started, I also started to self-learn how to play the ukulele, which is another new hobby that I really like spending my time with.
When I have the time I also like to volunteer, and I was an active volunteer at ESN Szeged for about 1,5 years. Although I do not have the time anymore to volunteer as actively as I used to, I am still open to finding an opportunity that allows me to give back to the community.
You can read more about our other colleges here: Introducing AbilityMatrix
