Major: Global Studies and Russian
Hometown: Alma, NE
Favorite book and why?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I've never read something so emotionally impactful.
Favorite movie and why?
Disney Pixar's UP because I aspire to have the same sense of adventure as Mr. Fredrickson when I am old. If I could tie balloons to my house and fly wherever I want, I totally would.
Why Global Studies?
I chose Global Studies because when I was in high school, I hosted and became friends with lots of exchange students and they showed me how little I knew about the world. As they shared their cultures with me, I became increasingly interested about the world outside of the USA. I went into Global Studies completely blind; I had no idea what kind of careers I could go into with this major, but now I know that there are so many that I can hardly choose. I also major in Russian for the same reasons, both exchange students I hosted were native Russian speakers. They taught me the alphabet and I fell in love with the language.
One of my favorite classes that I've taken for Global Studies is COMM311: Intercultural communication. This class taught me about the uniqueness of my own culture and different strategies to communicate with and understand people from different backgrounds.
I would recommend majoring/minoring in Global Studies to anyone no matter what career track you are following. Since Global Studies is interdisciplinary, it allows you to explore whatever you are interested in on a global scale. Whether it be politics, engineering, or economics, Global Studies has something for you.
Extracurricular Experience
Throughout my time at UNL I've been involved in Model United Nations, Peace Corps Prep, and I'm on the executive board of the UNL Russian Club. I have been part of these extracurriculars because not only are they fun and cater to my interests but participating in extracurriculars shows that you are involved and looks great on a resume, especially if you have an executive position. I've also technically studied abroad twice, although one time was virtual due to the pandemic. In 2021 I won the Critical Language Scholarship for Russian, and although I couldn't go to Russia it was still an incredible experience. This past summer I made up for the virtual experience by studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and it was the most amazing experience I've ever had. I would recommend anyone of any major to study abroad because it pushes you out of your comfort zone; and you never know what you can do until you are in a foreign country completely winging it. You'll gain so much self-confidence and learn things that you never would have been able to learn in the United States. It also broadens your perspective, and you gain an appreciation for a different way of life.
I would also encourage students to look into getting an internship. Last spring, I was an intern at Lincoln Literacy where I was teaching English to Russian speaking Ukrainians. I had never considered teaching until I was offered this position, and now I consider it something that I would continue in the future. Just be open and be flexible and never be afraid to try something new.
What are your post-graduation plans?
After graduation I am planning on going to graduate school, either for Russian, international relations, or something similar. My ultimate goal is to work in Public Diplomacy for the US Department of State, but that will take some time and effort.
