Kazakhstan native brings spirit of service to Carolina

When Regina Umanova arrives on campus for move-in, it will be a day of firsts — she’s never been to Carolina before, or the state, for that matter. And once she finishes setting up her dorm room, it will be her first time ever living away from her family in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“I will miss my parents and grandparents enormously, but I’m excited for the future,” she said.

A future, she says, that will be focused on helping others, something she has felt called to do since an early age and was largely influenced by her great-grandfather, who passed away a few years ago.

“He was my role model. He taught me to be kind to people and help them,” Umanova said. “He also inspired my love for economics, and in a way, inspired me to start my organization and app.”

A passion for helping people

Growing up, Umanova was always thinking about ways to support those in need, like organizing homemade toy sales in her school as fundraisers for children with cancer. When she was 14, she began helping out in a kindergarten classroom at a local school to work with children with physical and intellectual disabilities.

“I enjoyed the work so much, and it’s one of my happiest memories,” she said. “But it was challenging for me to accept that I couldn’t do more to help. The experience really had a profound influence on me. I realized there’s no reason everyone shouldn’t have the same opportunities.”

The experience inspired her to think about how people get around to take care of everyday tasks in Almaty. Umanova rallied a few of her friends to help develop the app “Oz Jolyn” (“Our Road,” in English), which allows people to search for buses with accessible ramps across the city. “We tried to gather as much information as possible. If a ramp was broken, we’d call and write to the government to get it fixed,” she said.

As Umanova and her friends worked to survey the city to collect data on as many buses as possible, they quickly realized they needed extra hands.

“It was impossible for us to do on our own,” she said. She founded her organization “Jaryq Urpaqm,” or “League of Volunteers,” and brought on more than 20 people to help.

Continuing service at Carolina

While she won’t be able to continue to oversee the day-to-day operations for the organization and app, Umanova doesn’t plan to slow down once she arrives on campus. She’s excited to meet her roommate and new people, and looks forward to volunteering in the Chapel Hill community.

“I want to explore all the things to do and opportunities to join clubs. But I absolutely want to continue to tutor children, which is something I do here at home,” she said. “I want to continue to help people.”

She adds with a laugh, “24 hours in a day are not enough for me.”

Umanova notes that one of the top reasons she wanted to come to Carolina is the freedom to create her own journey when it comes to her studies — something not common in Kazakhstan. She was also drawn by the University’s academic reputation, traditional campus experience and culture of service and community involvement.

But before she leaves Kazahkstan, Umanova needs to pack, and there are two items she knows for sure she will be putting in her suitcase: photos of her friends and family, and a stuffed dog from her beloved great-grandfather.

“He helped shape me as a person, and he’ll always be with me,” she said.