A bit about me

My name is Anna Campbell. I am 24 years old recent Georgetown graduate who is currently living in Ukhta, Russia for a 9 month Fulbright. I am a Fulbright ETA – English Teaching Assistant. So, I am teaching English at Ukhta State Technical University.

I am here with another American Fulbrighter, Michelle. We both teach classes to university students, as well as 2nd and 3rd graders at the University-connected elementary school, Rostok. Additionally, we lead 4 different English clubs:

• one for University staff looking to sharpen their speaking skills
• one for University students, including some of the students we teach
• one for younger students (5th – 8th graders) at the Ukhta Technical Lyceum
• one for older students (9th – 11th graders) at the Lyceum.

Why did I chose do do this Fulbright in Russia? Well, I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and started learning Russian in 1st grade at the Waldorf school I attended. Our Russian teacher taught us Russia songs, poems, and read us fairy tales and short stores. Because of this, I had a fascination with and love for Russian culture from a young age. The beauty of the literature, folklore, and language struck me, and is one of the reasons I decided to study abroad in Russia in 10th grade. I spent a semester living in Sochi with a host family, attending a local school.

While the culture captured my attention when I was little, the politics also started to interest me in high school. I decided to study Culture and Politics in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in order to better understand this relationship, and how it is shaped by history, language, and other aspects of culture. Following my graduation last year, I thought that spending a year in Russia, living, learning, and teaching, would be an amazing opportunity to add lived experience to my academic studies of Russia and its language. I picked Russia, Fulbright selected Ukhta for me, and here I am, trying to make sense of this beautiful diverse world.

This blog is not an official Fulbright Program website. The views expressed on this blog are entirely those of its author and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations.