Straight from a Paris Fashion Week or a theatre performance to the school desk

Every student is special to us. Each has their own character traits, hobbies, activities, and work. Some of them, thanks to just how exceptional they are, are also well-known and successful. Every week, we'll feature one of them.

Actresses and models have a reputation for being stuck-up. That's absolutely not true of our Olesya, though! This nearly 180cm-tall girl, originally from Ukraine, is always smiling, is very kind, and you'll most often spot her in the hallway with something tasty to eat.

Olesya, let's start with a classic question — how do you like it here at our school?

(Laughs) I've changed schools very often in my life, but here I feel really cozy and content. I like how diverse our school is. Thanks to this school, I can become a polyglot. If I count my native language, I'm learning five languages here in total, which isn't possible at a lot of schools at all. I feel like the school is also preparing us for life itself. We learn practical knowledge here too, which will come in handy in life. On top of that, the teachers treat us with humanity and empathy. It's really a huge difference compared to other schools.

Which languages are you learning here?

German, Latin, Spanish, English, Czech

What do you do “differently” in your free time compared to your classmates?

First of all, I want to say that we have a great class, a great group of people, and thanks to them too, I feel so good at school. But back to the question. First of all, I was lucky enough to meet mentors who connected me with theatre and later with modeling.

Can you tell me something about where you started with theatre and what your beginnings were like?

Like most of my friends, I actually wanted to be a well-known film actress. That's why I started studying at a film school. At the same time, that's where I first encountered theatre, because I wanted to improve. I discovered it's a huge difference. I fell madly in love with theatre, and so I left the film school.

What amazed you so much about theatre?

You come to know your whole life through a role, and that changes your overall perception of the world around you. Thanks to theatre, I realized that psychology — which had interested me since childhood, and which I'd only ever treated as a hobby — is exactly what I'd really like to pursue and study.

So after finishing gymnázium, you want to pursue psychology?

Yes, I'd love to study psychology at the prestigious Charles University.

And how are things going with the modeling industry?

It all happened completely “cosmically”. As soon as I met my theatre mentors, things moved really fast. The world-renowned agency Elite Prague reached out to me and invited me to a casting. Last year I went to Paris Fashion Week for the first time. There I even got to walk the runway, which was an incredible achievement and experience for me. It wasn't just about presenting myself, but about getting to know that huge, unknown world.

I don't personally know anyone who's walked a runway in Paris, so how difficult is it to land such a lucrative job?

A model doesn't just need to be beautiful first and foremost — she needs something extra. Charisma; she has to be quick-witted and always ready, for example even for a late-night meeting with a designer. It's incredibly hard in this industry to get a casting with a well-known brand. On top of that, the competition at castings in Paris is truly enormous. You have to be “different” among more than five hundred gorgeous girls.

I'm really looking forward to next month, when another Fashion Week awaits me in Paris and Milan.

How do you combine working as a model, an actress, and also being a diligent student?

You need to have a goal in life and turn your work into a hobby. I managed to do that.

Which theatre can we currently see you performing in?

I perform at the Rock Opera theatre in Prague. My current role is Barbie the Killer :). I have amazing colleagues here, so definitely come and see us.

What do you see as the advantage of studying at our gymnázium?

I feel free here. Since I fulfill all my student obligations, I have more freedom in my work.

Thank you for the interview.