Victory of the "Enchantress" Maria

      Dzerzhinsk schoolgirl won the top prize of "Bolshaya Peremena"

      "Since childhood I dreamed of becoming a witch, but since that dream did not come true, I find other ways to fulfill people's wishes," says high school student Maria Kvasova with a smile. Energetic and determined, she often takes part in various projects, does volunteer work and is an activist of the volunteer group "Budilnik" at the "Sputnik" Youth Center.

      Recently Maria became a first-degree laureate in the "Do Good!" challenge of the All-Russian contest "Bolshaya Peremena" and won the top prize — one million rubles! The talented schoolgirl told us in a personal interview what her winning project is about and what she plans to do next.

      "Not judged, but valued"

      It is important to note that this is not Maria's first experience in "Bolshaya Peremena": she first tried her hand at the national contest back in sixth grade, inspired by the success of another Dzerzhinsk activist she knew, Nadezhda Filtsova. The girl prepared for a long time, gathered information, and set herself the goal of performing as well as possible to get into the International Children's Center "Artek." And she succeeded.

      "For students in grades five to seven the contest is held in the format of an online game. Together with other participants we completed tasks testing logic, creativity and even altruism — so our knowledge and skills were assessed comprehensively. It was so interesting that I immediately decided: I'll participate again next year. And then again, and again. As a result, I took part in the contest five years in a row, and in different years I was a winner, a finalist, a second-degree laureate," Maria recounts.

      What captivated her about "Bolshaya Peremena"? According to Maria, above all that in this contest — in line with its slogan — participants are not judged but valued. Participants demonstrate their abilities, find like-minded peers and get many opportunities to develop in areas that interest them. All it takes is the desire to show yourself. The girl insists that those who think the contest is only for children from well-off families or youngsters who have already achieved great heights in certain fields are very mistaken. If you have creative ideas — go for it, try, implement them.

      Inspired by travel

      This time, as a high school student, Maria had to make a video introduction: tell about herself and answer the question: "What is your dream?", write an essay on a given topic, attach, if available, her volunteer record book, and move on to the main task of the online stage — developing her own project. A theme was also assigned for it — the lack of social businesses for children with disabilities and their families.

      Maria thought: how could she help such children, where to direct her efforts? She pondered for a long time, but when she decided, she realized the solution was obvious and exactly what was needed.

      "I really like to travel! Largely I get to visit new places thanks to participation in various youth projects under the 'Rosmolodezh' program. I've already been to Astrakhan, Karelia, and traveled along the longest railway in the world — the Trans-Siberian Railway. From that came the idea — to develop a project for a travel agency that organizes trips for children with special needs and their families. I planned three pilot tours — to the south of Russia, to St. Petersburg and to Karelia," describes her initiative called "A World Without Borders: Your Dreams — Our Routes," Maria Kvasova.

      An idea is a good start, but everything had to be thought through in detail, and since this was about a social business, also from the point of view of profit. The contestant approached the task with full responsibility: she spoke with the management of rehabilitation centers — local and from other cities across the country, met with parents of children with disabilities, and conducted a themed social survey. Maria emphasizes that her mother and father helped her, suggesting what could be improved and added, and last year's contest winner Maria Khmelnikova shared useful skills for preparing projects.

      Her own volunteer experience also came in handy. For five years the schoolgirl has been part of the volunteer team "Budilnik" at the "Sputnik" Youth Center, whose members help, among others, children with disabilities. Maria particularly enjoys working with children: boys and girls are always sincere and open, they "charge" her with positivity and give her strength for further activity. She speaks of her mentor — Marina Balova, the group's former leader — with special warmth, stressing that Marina Sergeyevna always skillfully motivated and guided the members and taught her a lot personally.

      A million — for education

      As can be seen, the work on the project was very complex, extensive and painstaking. The girl clarifies:

      "When difficulties arose, I remembered why I was doing this. I reasoned like this: 'Maria, no one is forcing you, you can close your laptop right now and go wherever you want. But success does not come by itself; you have to work hard.' I stick to the belief — if you start something, see it through to the end, otherwise previous efforts may be devalued."

      Her efforts did not go unrewarded: Maria's project received the highest possible score, she advanced to the semifinal, which this year was held in Perm, and then to the contest final. Together with other participants, the Dzerzhinsk volunteer solved tasks in a team competition and again demonstrated her abilities excellently. After evaluating the overall results, the jury concluded: she is the best in the "Do Good!" challenge.

      "Of course, I am very happy! I rejoiced at the award ceremony and still do, because it is so wonderful to know that your efforts were not in vain, that you were able to propose an interesting project that will be useful to others. Moreover, this victory is the result of all five years of my participation in the contest. Next year I no longer meet the age requirements, so the award became a beautiful conclusion to my journey in 'Bolshaya Peremena.' Though as a participant it's over, I will gladly become a contest expert, tell kids about the opportunities it provides, support newcomers and give them useful advice," Maria shares her impressions of the victory.

      Ahead of her is another exciting educational trip — also from "Bolshaya Peremena" — to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Maria plans to spend the million she won on self-development and education. The girl is sure: money earned thanks to knowledge and skills is best invested in additional learning.

      About the contest

      The All-Russian contest "Bolshaya Peremena" is held among schoolchildren and students of professional educational institutions. Participants can demonstrate their skills and talents, find like-minded people, and implement their own projects. Twelve directions are offered to their attention: "Be Entrepreneurial!", "Be Healthy!", "Preserve Nature!", "Do Good!", "Create!", "Change the World Around You!", "Serve the Motherland!", "Discover New Things!", "Tell About What Matters!", "Remember!", "Explore Russia!", "Create the Future!". Winners receive cash prizes and additional points for their portfolio of achievements when applying to universities. More information about the contest can be found at большаяперемена.онлайн.

      Ksenia Knyazeva. Photo from Maria Kvasova's personal archive