First foreign Lecturer to win the Rector's Laureate Award

Today, I need to share a piece of my heart with you. I won the Rector’s Award. But as I look at this certificate in my hands, my mind isn’t on the ceremony itself. It’s on the journey that led me here.
My name is NGUETOBAYE MASSENGAR RONGAR. I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Business. And today, I made history as the first foreign lecturer to win this prestigious award at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
I’m crying as I write this because I know exactly how much sweat and tears are hidden behind this smile.
To win in life, you have to work hard not just with your hands, but with your spirit. There is no substitute for grit. When I arrived in Russia, I knew nothing would be handed to me. I knew I had to work twice as hard to build bridges of cooperation and understanding.
There were times I felt invisible. Times I felt the weight of my nationality making me feel like an outsider. But I turned those feelings into fuel. I poured my energy into my students, my research, and the connection between our nations.
If you are reading this and you feel like giving up, please don’t. The world needs your unique voice. Your hard work is preparing you for a moment like thisa moment where you are seen, valued, and celebrated.
I am proud to be the first. But I pray I am not the last.