Honors and Awards: The Friends of Russian Culture Scholarship (2010); American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest (2011): Second Place for Heritage Learners, Level 2; Gilman Scholarship (2012)
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian?
I'm not quite sure what career I want to pursue but having a degree in Russian will be very beneficial for me because it will open up more job opportunities. At the moment, I’m interested in working in the media field. I’m also interested in working as a translator/interpreter so it’s vital for me to be fluent and proficient in Russian. Whichever career I decide to pursue, I definitely want it to relate to the Russian culture in some way and in which I will be able to use my Russian knowledge.
What attracted you to RFP?
I found out about RFP when I attended a Russian Culture Fair at Portland State University that took place in the fall of 2009. The more I learned about it, the more positive I became that it's something I'm deeply interested in. I was attracted to RFP by the opportunity to improve and increase my proficiency in Russian and to learn to speak it on a professional level. I was also intrigued by the possible chance of studying abroad in Saint Petersburg.
What's the best aspect of being in RFP?
I'm still very new to RFP but so far, I'm very impressed by everything it has to offer. Personally, I love being part of the Russian community in Portland and meeting people who share the same interest as me in the Russian culture and language. I've been looking for something like this for a long time and I'm so thrilled that I've finally found it. I feel like I'm on the right track now and positive that this program will help me figure out what career I want to pursue.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you?
Fluency in Russian is important to me because Russian is my first language and I want to be proficient in it. I moved to the United States from Estonia when I was in 5th grade, so I wasn’t able to further my study of Russian beyond the middle school level. It's also important to me because I would like the Russian language to be part of my future career.