I have applied for the Virtual Alumni Language Exchange Program for alumni of U.S. State Department sponsored Language learning scholarships in order to pursue a greater level of Russian language proficiency. Following, is the essay I submitted with my application.
“I am interested in participating in the Virtual Exchange Program for two main reasons: to give other students the opportunity I was given to understand a foreign language, and to further develop my own Russian skills. My language learning career started on a whim. I started learning the Russian alphabet because it looked interesting, and challenging. Two years later, I was in the heart of Russia studying the Russian Language for six weeks on a NSLI-Y scholarship. Had I not received that scholarship, I likely would have never discovered my passion for seriously pursuing the Russian language. I want to help give other students a similar opportunity as I had: to invest in a real human relationship with a person from a foreign culture. Studying Spanish in high school, I never got the opportunity to put my language skills to productive use by communicating with a native speaker. I want to give others that opportunity.
I also want to participate in the Virtual Exchange Program in order to maximize my own Russian language progress. I am currently studying fourth year Russian at Ohio State University. While the course is very challenging for me, I still desire the human contact that makes learning a foreign language practical, easier, and fun. Participating in the Virtual Exchange Program would give me the opportunity to meet even more native Russian speakers. I would not only be able to practice with my host family, but also with more of my peers who are striving for a similar goal as I am. As I am a recent returnee, returning this past August, my language skills are fresh, and I plan to keep them fresh. I see the Virtual Exchange Program as an excellent opportunity to develop my Russian throughout the year.
Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of my exchange experience was my return home. I returned home to an American society that believes a variety of negative stereotypes about Russia. In the weeks I have been home from my program, I have particularly enjoyed helping my college roommates come to understand on a more personal level the realities of life in Russia, as I experienced them.
Participating in the Virtual Exchange Program will help me improve my Russian language skills. This is extremely important to me because I hope to use those skills to serve the United States in public service. I am currently studying Security and Intelligence, and Russian at Ohio State University. This summer, I hope to study in Russia again with the Critical Language Scholarship. Participating in the Virtual Exchange Program will help me maximize my language acquisition and retention, enabling me better serve the United States.”