I received this email on 17 January 2011. I have decided, with Dinara’s permission, to publish it in full because I find it uplifting. Dinara Dultaeva was a 2010 festival volunteer who came to Perugia from Tashkent in Uzbekistan. She will return to the festival this year.
Dear Christopher,
I believe you remember me as an Uzbekistani volunteer at the International Journalism Festival last year. I was delighted to read your mention about me on the Festival’s web-page story “On a personal note”.
I should admit that volunteering at the IJF10 became inspiring experience for me and later that year I was accepted to Cardiff University Journalism School. I am doing my master’s degree here with the financial support of Foreign and Commonwealth Office as I won Chevening Scholarship from the British Council. I am very grateful to the Festival, where I’ve got encouragement and passion to pursue a professional career in international journalism, meeting leading experts in the field and taking part in organizational process.
I was wondering if I can take part in the Festival this year? I can be volunteer again and I can also make a presentation about my experience with the Festival and how it changed my life. I can take part in some of the panels on social media, blogging (as I am active blogger now), tabloidization of press in the UK (my recent coursework in Cardiff), coverage of royalty in the UK (another coursework) or some other topic on this year’s agenda.
I will be happy to be of any help and meet your wonderful team again.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Best Regards
Dinara Dultaeva
Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
Wales