For the 3rd runner-up in University Language Services’ 2009 scholarship essay contest, a single incident in the Ukraine highlighted a big difference between that country and the United States.

Anastasiya Sidorova, now a law student at the University of Florida, moved from Kiev, Ukraine, to West Palm Beach, Fla., as an 8-year-old.

In her winning essay, Sidorova wrote about her first return trip to the Ukraine five years later. She was confused when a police officer approached the the car she was riding in, and troubled by what proceeded to happen. Read her essay to find out more.

Her experiences have given her a deep respect for the US legal system, a field she has wanted to study since high school.

“When I arrived in the United States, I quickly came to the realization that the purpose of education was profoundly different,” she wrote in her essay. “Students were taught to think critically and independently.”

Sidorova’s top piece of advice for international students studying in the US: Have faith in yourself.

“Although things may seem impossible at first, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, brighter than you can imagine as long as you don’t give up.”

We here at University Language send our congratulations and best wishes to Anastasiya as she continues to study for her law degree.

Check back soon for profiles on our other scholarship winners and for the upcoming announcement of University Language Services’ newest scholarship contest!