NOW
I work as a Policy Manager at Latino Network, a local non-profit transforming the lives of Latino children, youth, and families in the Portland metro. In my role, I serve on multiple steering committees to draft and move ambitious local and state policy. Additionally, I am currently serving a two-year term on the Portland Charter Commission, a process that takes place every decade to update the governing document of the City of Portland. After completing Portland State's Overseas Russian Flagship Program in 2016 with support from the Department of Defense's David L. Boren Scholarship, I enrolled in a joint graduate program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, I was awarded the Department of Education's FLAS fellowship and nominated as a Weiser Fellow for Emerging Democracies, which allowed me to return to Kazakhstan to conduct public opinion research on nationalism for my thesis. In 2018, I earned a joint Master's of Public Policy and Master's of Arts in Russian and Eurasian Studies.
THEN
Certification: Completed the National Language Flagship Requirements
Honors and Awards: Diversity Enrichment Scholarship (PSU); Benjamin A. Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship (Department of Education); Walter B. Palmer Scholarship (Phi Delta Theta Fraternity); Presenter, 18th Annual UCLA Undergraduate Research Conference on Slavic and Eastern/Central European Studies (2015); Boren Scholarship (2015-2016); Russian Overseas Flagship (2015-2016)
International Internship: USAID
What do you plan to do with your fluency in Russian?
Participation in the Flagship program is more than an opportunity for me to pursue proficiency in Russian, but a stepping stone to my lifelong commitment to learning and growing both scholarly and as a person. As a Political Science and Russian major, I focus on strengthening my Russian in order to prepare myself for an internship within a government agency, after which, I hope to enroll in graduate school and complete a master’s program with a focus on Russia.
What attracted you to the PSU Russian Flagship?
I was attracted to the PSU Russian Flagship because it gives the students the tools to achieve proficiency in the language. Upon graduating from high school, I wanted to pursue a career that would give me career options. Proficiency in the Russian language, which I will achieve in the program, will present me with many career opportunities, specifically, within the government.
What’s the best aspect of being in the PSU Russian Flagship?
The program offers a unique opportunity to engage with native-speaking Russians in and out of the classroom. The passionate staff and professors continually work to ensure that students are making progress in learning Russian.
Why is fluency in Russian important to you?
I believe that fluency in Russia goes beyond speaking the language at a professional level. For me, fluency also encompasses cultural competency. The program’s initiative to send students to Russia twice before completing the program ensures that the students who graduate are not only proficient but also culturally aware.