Imagine you’re on live TV, all the lights are on you and you’re asked to sing. Right there. Right then, when everyone’s watching you. Do you do it? This was the dilemma faced by Melis Durdag just last year when she was asked to appear on a TV show in Turkey. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Melis was preparing to take her university entrance exam when her math tutor told his friend that she would be a good candidate for a TV show, Deryanin Dunyasi (Derya’s World in English). The show was looking for students who could talk about their preparation for college and who had talent.
Melis and her boyfriend were then enlisted to appear on the show. Melis indicated she could sing but the workers at the show told her that she was not going to be asked to sing during the show because they would not have enough time. However, during the live recording of the show the host asked Melis to sing. Although she was nervous, Melis was able to sing “I Will Survive” in Turkish, on live TV and soon people started clapping and singing along with her. “It was national TV and live so I was nervous,” said Melis recalling the experience. “I couldn’t think of anything else [to sing].”
After this experience, Melis decided to come Georgetown because she wants to study international business, meet people from all over the world, and continue to improve her English. While here she is a member of Rotaract, which is a rotary club for universities. She and the other members of Rotaract go to conferences to raise awareness in society about social problems. Although she does miss home at times she enjoys being at Georgetown, seeing it as a challenging but also fun experience.