Profile - Nikita Nivokhatniy

Profile - Nikita Novokhatniy

For world traveling senior Nikita Novokhatniy, it is hard to say where his home is. He has friends and special memories in so many different places.

Because he had to start a new life so many times that he knows how to talk to strangers and isn’t afraid of unknown situations anymore.

“I don’t really have a home, because I travel everywhere. Every place is kinda my home,” Novokhatniy says. 

Novokhatniy is from Russia,  but moved to Australia, Germany, Switzerland and some other countries for a shorter period of time, where he learned a lot of different languages like German and Italian.

“My favorite place is probably Switzerland,” Novokhatniy admits. “I still want to go back there.”

Novokhatniy says growing up in so many different cultures can be a great advantage for many jobs to speak so many languages, but it also helps him in his personal life.

“I am able to handle myself in many situations most people couldn’t,” he says.

Novokhatniy has lived in more countries all over the world, then most other teenagers his age have even visited and it really helped him develop good social skills.

 “If you find friends, everything is really easy afterwards,” Novokhatniy says.

But it’s also one of the things that makes it hard for him to leave again.

“I do miss Switzerland in the summer, because I had a lot of fun with my friends there.”

That’s one of the reasons Novokhatniy decided to help the exchange students to adapt to Lincoln this year. Having intercultural experiences is very important to him. 

He did an exchange year himself and might do it again.

“You get to experience very cool adventures and do things you would have never thought you would be able to do.”  

Having friends in other countries you can visit during your holidays isn’t only one of his favorite parts about this whole experience, but it is also very important. 

Having connections outside of your one country can make you a lot more open for other opinions and traditions other than your home country's culture.