Honors and Awards: Sandra G. Freels Endowed Scholarship for the Study of Russian, Farrens Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship, Cliff and Deborah Burns Mathematics Scholarship, Barbara McDougall Mathematics Scholarship; Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, Tau Sigma National Honor Society, David L. Boren Scholarship (2020)
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian? One of my dreams is to become an astronaut, working with NASA on the International Space Station, where I would use Russian to communicate with my peers and fellow cosmonauts. But even if I don't achieve that goal, I will use Russian in my future professional and charity work.
What attracted you to the PSU Russian Flagship? I loved the idea of immersion-style learning in my own backyard. It was recommended to me by my community college Russian professor as an efficient way to learn; having become a Flagship student, I sincerely respect the program for its commitment to scholarly excellence.
What’s the best aspect of being in the PSU Russian Flagship? Being in the Flagship Program means I am trained with the rigorous standards of proper Russian, and I really appreciate having a cohort of fellow students. Unlike in some majors, the small class sizes and the dedicated, highly trained and experienced professors support students every step of the way, making graduation that much more priceless. Also, the Flagship courses work hard to incorporate student's interests in all areas of life, giving a well-rounded perspective on the Russian language and its usage in today's world.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you? Being fluent in one language opens the door to more easily and quickly learn other languages. And to whatever extent my dreams are realized, fluency will be a key resource for both communication and successful collaboration in scientific and other disciplines.