Q: How did your Slavic studies prepare you for your future career? What was the most important thing you learned?
A: I participated in the study-abroad semster at the Moscow State Pedagogical University in 1991 - prior to the fall of communism. I witnessed historical change. It was the best way to bring together, Russian language, culture and politcs beyond what's possible in a classroom. That experience shaped my career in doing work in government and in foreign countries such as France, The UAE and Saudi Arabia. It gave me the confidence and skills to adapt to different settings and languages.
Q: How did your Slavic studies contribute more generally to your life?
A: Learn a language well and it serves as the building blocks for learning others. It brings a cultural sensitivity that allows you to see different perspectives and understand the interplay between history and today.
Q: What did you do immediately upon graduation?
A: Immediate following graduation I went into advertising, at an agency that I first encountered as a student in Moscow.
Q: What advice would you give to graduating students, or to students thinking about the Slavic program?
A: If you're at all interested in learning a language, and immersing yourself in a culture vastly different from your own - and different from those your peers are studying, Russian provides a window on a history and literature that few countries can match. Even if you never use it, the experience is a building block for bigger things.