Major: International Studies
Yazmina Salahuddin-Robinson’s intense curiosity about languages and cultures drew her to the international studies major. She sees herself as a citizen of a global world — while at Denison, she studied both Chinese and Japanese and has been exploring other cultures through writing. During her senior year, she wrote and published the first book in a planned 13-book series in which each book focuses on a character from another part of the world.
What did you learn about yourself as you wrote your book?
“What I like the most is writing about something that doesn’t exist. I’m writing descriptions of planets, and creating new art. And I discovered that I’m an entrepreneur. I’m independent and I’m motivated to work for myself. I learned that writing and publishing a book is about a lot more than having a story to tell. Besides writing, there’s editing, illustrating, and marketing. I like the challenge of learning new things.
What’s your best advice for other entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself. I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence, and I would be upset when I read a negative comment about my book. Then I realized what a significant accomplishment this was. Now I feel more confident in my book and what I did. It gives me faith in myself to keep learning and growing in my work. Plus, don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help!