Honors and Awards: The Western Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship (2009); The Friends of Russian Culture Scholarship (2009)
NOW:
Yevgenia Tsveleva has worked in the healthcare industry, starting out as Resident Services Director at an assisted living center. She finished a degree in Nursing in 2017 and started working as a Registered Nurse in a psychiatric unit at a social safety-net hospital. She works with underserved populations and has used her language skills in serving the Russian-speaking population in Colorado.
THEN:
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian?
I am a Women’s Studies major and a Photography minor. Someday I hope to have an impact on preventing the abuse of and discrimination against women. My concern has been focused on the growing problem of human trafficking in Eastern Europe. Although I was born in Russia, I did not live there for long, and my language did not develop to the furthest level it could. I hope to study abroad in St. Petersburg to advance my language skills and learn more about the condition of women in Russia. In the future, I hope to work in preventing human trafficking within Russia and Eastern Europe while using my knowledge and abilities in language, art, and photography.
What attracted you to RFP?
When I first learned about RFP, I was excited because it is partially designed for heritage speakers of Russian, like myself. I did not intend to be a Russian major but wanted to study Russian outside of class. As I learned more about RFPP, I decided that this program would be a very good fit for me. The classes that are offered classes encourage me to learn Russian to a level that I could not get to myself. Another great point about this program is that it can be taken along with any academic plan.
What’s the best aspect of being in RFP?
The best aspect of being in RFP is the resources that are provided. Being able to talk to professors that are native speakers helps out greatly in learning the natural dialect. There are always activities to attend, that encourage conversations in Russian. RFP is not just an academic program; it advocates the use of Russian aside from classrooms.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you?
Fluency in Russian has always been important to me since I was born in Russia. Being able to speak Russian, without difficulty, has been my goal since my family immigrated to the U.S. Also, being bilingual opens up many opportunities in the work field, especially for those who want to travel.