Hometown: Burnsville, NCGraduating Class: 2024
Current Profession: Senior, majoring in Russian, minoring in German
What languages did you study at UNC and what were your most memorable moments from those global language courses?
At UNC, I have majored in Russian and minored in German. In addition to this, I have studied a handful of ‘philological’ languages, including Gothic, Old High German, Old Saxon, Old Norse, and Old English. Some of my most memorable moments in these classes are when I gave a ludicrous presentation about the semantics of Russian prefixes and started jumping in excitement, or the timeless discussions about objective truth in German.
Did you study abroad or do an internship abroad and, if so, what about these experiences impacted your bachelor’s degree the most?
Yes, I have studied abroad in both Almaty, Kazakhstan and Berlin, Germany. Russian is a very difficult language, but in Almaty my Russian improved greatly. Living there was so different from anything that I’d ever experienced before that my personality went through such a great shift, throughout which I didn’t speak a word of English.
How did the study of German/Russian shape your overall academic training at Carolina?
Studying language is difficult and requires hours of devoted focus and concentration. Since I have taken mostly language and literature courses, everything suddenly feels easy when I find myself in a gen-ed. I would say that studying language has shaped my study routines in such a way that I feel prepared to take on anything.
How has language study at Carolina shaped your outlook and professional aspirations following graduation?
Language is among the greatest forms of human expression and led me to the world of literature. I have changed my major three times, but my language courses always remained. Harnessing both my skills for language and propensity for literature, I intend to first work at the Defense Language Institute, then to move on to academia.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that you believe new students should know about your global language experience at Carolina?
Yes, among my greatest supporters have been the friendly faces in the Department of the Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures and the Russian Flagship Program. These programs have greatly assisted me in reaching my language goals not just at UNC, but throughout the world. If you’re interested in European languages and haven’t become well acquainted with either of these departments, I would highly recommend it.