A New Hope

I was recently having a drink at Kramer Books on DuPont Circle in DC and reflecting on the changes an undergraduate goes through during their final year. For me, the beginning of my senior year, rather than the end, was bittersweet. I had just finished a semester abroad in St. Petersburg and was uncertain of my desire to throw myself back into the college routine. Through my internship at American Councils I was able to continue my use of Russian, but the thought that I may never practically have a need to use the language was consistently nagging.

So... I decided to apply to the Russian Flagship Program, about which I had heard while I was in St. Petersburg. I won't bore you with the details, but it took some time. 3 Tests - 2 online, 1 phone interview; the works. I applied for the National Security Language Program fellowship, but did not receive it. When I was informed that I had been accepted to the study program nonetheless, my worries turned to the program's cost. In the end, I was lucky enough that the folks at ACTR who were administering the tests decided to fund me via several avenues including Fulbright-Hayes, and the State Department.

I return to St. Petersburg in a little over a week. The main purpose of this blog is to keep people updated as to my whereabouts and life abroad, but I hope it will also serve also as a means to keep in touch with friends and family, so please send me feedback and add comments!

-Jon

PS-
I'll try to keep it un-egocentric as possible, but egocentrism is a bit unavoidable given the nature of personal blogs.