Path to Success presents Yana Ouchakova
Juvenile cancer survivor and motivational speaker
"Conquering Hardships"
What will your students get to hear from Yana?
• A truly inspiring and moving story on battling cancer
• The importance of speaking your mind
• Ways to approach difficult situations in a successful and productive way
• How to succeed in life, no matter “what cards you’ve been dealt”
• How to support friends and family going through difficult situations
How will your students feel after hearing Yana?
• More confident in expressing their opinions and feelings
• Appreciative of the most important things in life
• Motivated to pursue their dreams, despite current circumstances
• Empowered to conquer obstacles and create a positive life
• Inspired to help others dealing with hardships
Speaking Outline
Yana Ouchakova was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in eighth grade, at the age of fourteen. She was feeling ill for over a year, but her doctors said she was fine. She did not get a second opinion, and one night, she had to be rushed to the emergency room, where doctors found a fist-sized tumor near her lungs and heart. Yana underwent nine months of intense chemotherapy and lost her hair. In the meantime, she was forced to be home schooled and missed her junior high school prom. However, through her adversity, Yana discovered an inner strength to work harder than ever before. Not knowing what tomorrow would bring, she lived every day as if it were her last. Even though she was undergoing chemotherapy, she still auditioned for the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Visual and Performing Arts, which she later attended. Once she began high school, Yana had conquered cancer and gained intense drive. Overall, she viewed her cancer as a challenge she would battle to become a stronger person, not as something that would get the best of her.
Since overcoming her cancer, Yana has been doing personal counseling with many cancer patients at hospitals and other venues, helping them to find the strength that she once found through cancer. Currently, Yana is attending Hunter College in Manhattan and is studying psychology and acting. She feels that today’s youth need to be more aware of the warning signs of cancer, something she wishes she had known about.
Designed for all grades
Yana will discuss her struggles with cancer.
One night, when she was in eighth grade, Yana felt severely ill and had to be rushed to the emergency room. “I wouldn’t go to sleep, because if I did, I knew I wasn’t going to wake up,” she says. Doctors found a tumor the size of a fist near her lungs and heart. Soon after, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and underwent nine months of intense chemotherapy.
Yana will explain the importance of self-examining your body for abnormal changes, and furthermore, will explain how to do so.
Yana felt ill for quite some time before doctors found the tumor. Although Yana spoke out, the doctors said she was fine. Unfortunately, Yana never went to get a second opinion, and the tumor metastasized to the size of a fist. Yana believes the severity of her condition could have been prevented had she received a second opinion. Yana stresses the importance of getting regular check-ups and speaking out if something does not feel right.
Yana will discuss how she used positive thinking to battle her cancer.
Knowing how sick she was, Yana had two choices: fight the cancer, or succumb to it. She battled cancer by telling herself that this was a challenge to become a stronger person, not a punishment. She believed in a future where she was healthy and successful, and today, because of that positive attitude, she feels blessed to have that.
Yana will stress the importance of staying loyal to friends who are going through tough times.
Yana recalls the profound impact her true friends had on her during her moment of need. She explains the importance of being a good friend, and how vital friendships are in life.
Yana will motivate your students to never take anything for granted, and no matter “what cards you’ve been dealt in life”, take advantage of opportunities and work as hard as possible.
While battling her cancer, Yana found an inner gratitude towards life, and became motivated to work harder towards her goals than ever before. In the midst of chemotherapy, she still managed to audition for, and get accepted into, the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Visual and Performing Arts. Everyday, instead of succumbing to her illness, she pushed closer towards her dreams, even with such a major obstacle as cancer. She motivates kids with all hardships--emotional, familial, physical, social, etc, to stay focused on pursuing their dreams and live a fulfilling life.
Yana’s presentations are 45 minutes in length and include a 5-minute Q&A session. Audience size is flexible. The presentation may be slightly modified depending on the specific age group of the audience. Path to Success is happy to work with you and your school to fit your specific needs.