2024 is almost over. Take a moment to make a lasting difference in a young artist’s life. Inspire their journey. Make your gift today.
Jan. 15 is the Priority Application Deadline for Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy. Programs fill quickly—submit your app today!
‘The place where I needed to be’: How Kazakh artist Assyl Rassulkyzy found the school of her dreams at Interlochen
The second-year senior shares highlights of her Interlochen experience, from finding support as an international student to performing Kazakh rap songs in front of her peers.
From an early age, young Kazakh artist Assyl Rassulkyzy knew she wanted to study in the United States.
“When I was 11, I dreamed about going to America. I watched blogs by other people from other post-Soviet countries who went to study in America. I knew I wanted that for myself.”
Assyl longed for a place where she’d be free to explore a wide range of arts disciplines from poetry to dance. She also wanted a school with a strong international student support system. She found all that and more at Interlochen Arts Academy.
I remember that the first time I read Interlochen's website, I cried, because it felt like the place where I needed to be. I read all of the course offerings and thought, ‘I want to take this. I want to learn about this.’
“The place where I needed to be”
Assyl is a senior at Interlochen this year, and considers Interlochen to be her second home. But although she’s very happy with her life at Arts Academy, Interlochen wasn’t actually first on her list.
After obtaining a visa her sophomore year, Assyl started out at another U.S. boarding school—Miss Hall’s School. She enjoyed the experience, but didn’t get the chance to explore a variety of art forms in the way she’d wanted.
“I had trouble finding a school or program that was tailored to my interests and would allow me to do everything that I wanted to do,” she says.
That all changed when she found out about Interlochen.
“I remember that the first time I read the website, I cried, because it felt like the place where I needed to be,” she remembers. “I read all of the course offerings and thought, ‘I want to take this. I want to learn about this.’ And when I saw the Interdisciplinary Arts major offering, I realized that I could actually dedicate time to everything that I was interested in studying.”
After that, her application to Interlochen came together rapidly.
“My mom and I compiled the portfolio in about five days. It was basically everything that I'd created up until that point. Some songs, some poems, and a couple of dance pieces. Everything I had, I put in.”
It was July when Assyl submitted her application, and she heard back from Interlochen in August. She’d gotten in—and now she was going to be an Interdisciplinary Arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy.
“It all came together at the very last minute,” she laughs. “But I'm very glad that it worked out the way that it did, because I'm very happy here.”
Exploring the arts and sharing culture
At Interlochen, Assyl flung herself head-first into exploring all of the different art forms she loved.
“So far, I’ve studied poetry, dance, singing, and songwriting,” she says. “I’m also learning a lot about theatre and theatre writing.”
She’s especially enjoyed opportunities to combine different art forms.
“What I love about Interlochen is that it’s not just about practicing in multiple arts areas—which of course we do—but it’s also about learning to think about art as a whole, and finding forms of expression that aren’t already defined, or intersections between our existing areas of interest,” she says.
As an international student, she’s also received plenty of support with her transition from Kazakhstan to the United States.
“Kalyn Rabuse is the international student manager here, and she's like my second mom,” says Assyl. “I feel like I can knock on her door if I need to talk about anything, really. She's the kind of person who genuinely wants to know about the students that she works with.”
Assyl has a passion for sharing her home country’s culture, and she’s sought out leadership opportunities to make that a reality.
“International student life at Interlochen is thriving, largely thanks to Mwila Keso, who founded the International Student Union,” she says. “Last year I was vice president and recruiter, and this year I’m director of communications. We have game nights and weekly meetings where we discuss our experiences as international students. And recently we started teaching 101 language classes to fellow students. I taught Kazakh 101 a few weeks ago, and we're planning on doing Mandarin and Thai in the future. It’s really fun.”
Just last week, Assyl performed for the school’s Asian-American Pacific Islander affinity group performance: “I sang a Kazakh rap song.” She took initiative and founded a Women of Color club at Interlochen, creating a space for conversations about feminism and intersecting identities. And each year, Assyl looks forward to making a display for the school’s Culture Fair.
“Last year I made a presentation about the Kazakh language,” she says. “I had a station where people could craft their own Kazakh names. Most Kazakh names have two syllables that each mean different things. My friends wanted to create names based on their own personal qualities, so there were a lot of ‘brave kings’ or ‘precious souls’.”
Asked what she misses most about her home country, Assyl has to say it’s the food. Another cultural event she always enjoys is the International Food Fair, where students share foods from their home countries with the rest of the student body.
“I want to make plov this year,” she says. “It’s a rice dish with very tender meat, carrots, chickpeas, and lamb.”
I grew up not seeing myself represented anywhere, so I want to change that.
Sharing her Kazakh identity with the world
As a senior this year, Assyl often finds herself thinking about what the future holds. Her experience at Interlochen has inspired her to think more deeply about the connections between her cultural background and her art, and what that might mean for her after Interlochen.
“Coming to Interlochen made me rethink my relationship to my culture,” she says. “When I did art before coming to Interlochen, I never thought about interweaving my cultural identity with my art. I kept them separate, because, for whatever reason, I didn't really think that being Kazakh was worth writing about or singing about or dancing about. But at Interlochen, so much of my work is influenced by my culture, and that is very much through the encouragement of my division directors. Now, my experience of being Kazakh in America is a source of inspiration.”
After Interlochen, she plans to attend college with a major in public policy and a minor in the arts.
“I want to work with Kazakh public policy questions,” she says. “I’m also thinking about writing a book and creating media or artwork that serves as Kazakh representation to global audiences. I grew up not seeing myself represented anywhere, so I want to change that.”
She’s inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian author whose work centers around topics like religion, immigration, gender and culture.
“I’d like to write a story about a Kazakh woman that would be read worldwide. This is my dream.”
Asked what she’d say to prospective international students, Assyl says it’s important to be intentional while you’re choosing a school.
“Take the leap of faith, but first do a little research or take a virtual campus tour,” she advises. “Think about yourself, your values, and what you want out of your education. Ask yourself, ‘Will my needs be met? Am I going to learn? Does this excite me?’”
Assyl found positive answers to all of these questions at Interlochen, where she’s been able to explore a variety of art forms and pursue her dreams.
“I was so intentional about coming to Interlochen specifically, and I think it’s the main reason why I'm so happy here.”
Interlochen Arts Academy welcomes many international students to campus each year. Learn more about how you’ll be supported as an international student.
