I am currently an International Studies (with a concentration on politics and diplomacy) and Russian double major at Texas A&M University. I will graduate in December, and I hope to continue my education next fall in a Master's program. I'm interested in how Russia fits into the global world order, and how Russian foreign policy is influence by Russian culture and society. In the last three and a half years, I have learned more than I thought possible about Russian culture, art, literature and its language. In May of 2019, I went to Russia for the first time with my professors and twelve other A&M students for five weeks. We spent most of our time in St. Petersburg, going to museums and theatrical performances. My first study abroad was dedicated to consuming Russian art and culture in the places where it was made.
This past January, I left for my semester abroad in Moscow. This time, my study abroad was all about gaining a new perspective through which to see the world. I studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where Russia's future diplomats go to university. I will probably refer to the university as MGIMO going forward, which is the acronym of the university's name in Russian (Московский государственный институт международных отношений). MGIMO is considered to be the best university in Russia and focuses exclusively on shaping the future of Russian foreign policy. Since I want to work for the U.S. Foreign Service in the future, you can see how a formal education in the Russian perspective could be informative for my future goals. I was excited to attend this prestigious university and learn from the same professors who are teaching my future counterparts.
