NOW:
Goldman is working as a Program Specialist with the Eurasia Program at Open Society Foundations in NYC. The Eurasia program works to deepen civil society, uphold human rights, and maintain space for independent debate and discussion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Specifically, she provides operational support to the program, working on their grant processing initiatives, identifying promising new partners, overseeing translation, supporting procedures for program evaluation, and conducting research of the political landscape in the region.
THEN
Certification: Language Flagship Certified Global Professional with Distinction
Honors and Awards: The Critical Language Scholarship (Summer 2012); PSU Community Engagement Award (2013-2014); Presenter, The Language Flagship National Student Meeting " Substance Abuse Among Russian Speaking Youth" (2014); American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest: Honorable Mention Award for Heritage Learners, Level 3 (2014); Presenter, 17th Annual UCLA Undergraduate Research Conference on Slavic and Eastern/Central European Studies (2014); Boren Scholarship (2014-2015); Russian Overseas Flagship (2014-2015)
Domestic Internships: Portland Police Bureau (2013-2014)
International Internship: Crisis Line of Kazakhstan (2015)
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian?
I hope to apply my Russian fluency in the psychological field. I would like to work for the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs concerning human and civil rights in both individual cases and broader issues. Another deep interest of mine is to apply my Russian skills in neurological aspects of psychological research; investigating the correlation between the Russian language, social behavior, and brain activity.
What attracted you to the PSU Russian Flagship?
The Russian Flagship Program attracted me for the opportunity to gain proficiency in Russian and interweave these language skills with my professional goals. Moreover, I will be able to apply all the skills and knowledge I accumulate in the classroom in my future travels to Russia. The advantage of traveling to Russia will give me the edge to reach my goal of native competence while gaining perspective and cultural understanding.
What’s the best aspect of being in the PSU Russian Flagship?
The curriculum of RFP is both rigorous and very fun. I really appreciate that all aspects of the language are taught through the context of the Soviet era to modern Russian politics, economics, and society. Another important quality of the RFP is its tight-knit community. The constant interaction between students and staff is incredible.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you?
To be fluent in Russian goes beyond my professional goals. Vladimir Nabokov, a multi-linguist, inspires me to achieve a fluency level in which I’m able to exist in the Russian-speaking world as I do as a native English-speaker. The language and culture fascinate me, and striving for native fluency will allow me to reach the goal of comfortably functioning in Russian society.