NOW:
After graduation from Portland State University, I have been working as a tax consultant in a call center, and the skills I need to excel in that position were gained as a direct result of going through the Russian Flagship Program. Thanks to RFP I developed the communication, paraphrasing, writing, and multicultural skills needed for this type of work, and I have the stamina to do the job full-time (actively speaking 3-5 hours per day, 4-5 days per week) thanks to the public speaking experience I gained doing presentations in Russian at PSU.
THEN:
Honors and Awards: General Honors - National Merit Scholar, Fall 2000 – Spring 2004; USC Presidential Scholar, Fall 2000 – Spring 2005; Russian Language - Foundation for Global Scholars General Scholarship for Study Abroad, Fall 2013; PSU Kawase Scholarship for International Education, Fall 2013; PSU Russian Flagship Program (RFP) Study Abroad Scholarship, Fall 2013; Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) Program Scholarship for Study Abroad, Fall 2013; American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest, 2013: Honorable Mention Award for Non-Heritage Learners, Level 4; Certificate of Participation in the 15th Annual UCLA Undergraduate Research Conference on Slavic and Eastern/Central European Studies, Spring 2012; American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest, 2012: Second Place Award for Non-Heritage Learners, Level 4; American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest, 2011: Honorable Mention Award for Non-Heritage Learners, Level 3; PSU Russian Flagship Program Domestic Scholarship (Fall 2010 – Spring 2012); Music - Media Arts Education Scholarship from the Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), 2012; Certificate of Completion from the Oregon Music Technology School (OMTS) Certification Program in Portland, OR, March 2012; PSU Laurels Graduate Tuition Remission Award from the Dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts (Fall 2011 – Summer 2013); USC Music Composition Department Scholarship (Fall 2004 – Spring 2005); Music Honors Convocation, University of Southern California, Spring 2005: Selected as “Outstanding Composition Undergraduate” for 2005; Honor Society Memberships - PSU chapter of the Phi Sigma Iota (PSI) Language Honor Society; inducted Spring 2013; USC & PSU chapters of the Academic Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP); inducted at USC, Spring 2003; USC chapter of the Golden Key International Honor Society; inducted Spring 2003; USC chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda (PKL) National Music Honor Society; inducted at USC
Publications:
Controlled Chaos: Poetic Rhythm in Blok's "The Twelve"
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian?
I sing, play guitar, and write music, so I specialize in an art form that often mixes with language; knowing Russian opens up a whole world of vocal music to me, whether I’m listening to it, singing it, or writing it. I want to be able to collaborate with Russian-speaking musicians just as well as I do with my English-speaking colleagues here in America.
What attracted you to RFP?
I was drawn by the unique opportunities for scholarships that fund extensive study abroad, including classes in my music major at our partner Flagship Center in Saint Petersburg.
What’s the best aspect of being in RFP?
Having access to many native speakers of Russian in class and in one-on-one tutoring.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you?
I am part Russian and have Russian extended family members, so I have a strong personal motivation for learning Russian; traveling to and learning about Russia helps me understand my family and myself. I also simply like the acoustic aesthetics of the language; it is pleasing to my musical ear.