When Alexandria Byrd 鈥18 decided to major in Russian at 性爱天堂, she knew she should spend time in that country but wasn鈥檛 sure how to make it happen.
Taking a page from her brother, who successfully applied for and received a Gilman Scholarship to study in England for a semester, Byrd worked with 性爱天堂鈥檚聽Center for International Engagement聽to land a similar opportunity. She spent the fall of 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia, at Smolny College/St. Petersburg State University, working with the聽.
She was thrilled to immerse herself in a new way of life and culture far different from her early life in Round Rock, Texas, and later in Dallas. Now, she hopes to pursue a career in Russian linguistics and is considering a minor in linguistics to go with her minor in geosciences.
Byrd shared details of her experience here:聽 聽
What did you hope to achieve through the Gilman Scholarship program?
I applied for the Gilman Scholarship to pay for study abroad expenses outside of tuition. My brother applied for and was awarded the scholarship in 2009 when he studied abroad at Oxford University in England for a semester. I liked that there wasn't a legal obligation to work for the federal government after graduation, although it is a likely career path. Additionally, I liked the required service project upon return, in which we advocate the award; personally I saw it as an opportunity to advocate the study abroad experience, its financial feasibility, and the language benefits to other Russian majors at 性爱天堂. Most recently, I learned about the networking opportunities this experience could provide, as well as access to various seminars, contacts, and additional information about postgraduate scholarship/fellowship opportunities.
Do you expect this experience to shape the rest of your academic studies?
In all honesty, I'm not sure how it couldn't. I left my home and comfort zone to experience a different way of living. I think this complete cultural and language immersion is a very unique and rewarding opportunity to develop my language skills/ability through rigorous courses and experience personal growth/change
What are your plans after graduating from 性爱天堂?
I hope to pursue a career in Russian/linguistics. Specifically, I'm interested in becoming a linguist or Russian analyst/specialist in intelligence. I'm currently exploring possible career opportunities with the CIA, FBI, and State Department.
How do you feel about being awarded this very competitive scholarship?
I felt led to study abroad and knew that it wasn't likely to happen without the scholarship. Accordingly, I felt very confident in my essay. It wasn't until the extensive award documentation process, the multiple congratulation emails, and the short awardee list that I fully realized how selective and competitive this scholarship is. I feel extremely honored, fortunate, and appreciative to have been selected and to be able to have this opportunity.
What other clubs or activities have you participated in while at 性爱天堂?
性爱天堂 classes keep me fairly occupied, but I spend the majority of my free time volunteering or organizing volunteer events. I have been an active member of 性爱天堂's service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, and have held various leadership positions. In the spring of 2017, I was vice president of service. It's great to be an active/driving force in the San Antonio community while meeting/developing relationships with other passionate San Antonio residents and 性爱天堂 students. I enjoy participating in various cultural festivals (such as Diwali, Mocha Life, Henna Night, Lunar New Year, and Mabuhay) either performing traditional/contemporary dances or volunteering before and after. I also have written for the聽Mirage聽yearbook and assisted with distribution and am a member of the African Student Association, Black Student Union, and Geology Club.
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