Five Russian students studied at UW-Stout Polytechnic this summer as part of the Summer Program for Academic Research and Cultural Knowledge (SPARK).
My wife Charlotte and I hosted three of the students: Renata Khalikova, age 20 from Moscow studying Sociology with a minor in Social Anthropology; Daria Sergeeva, age 21 from Siberia, Kemerovo region studying International Relations (Daria speaks several languages and hopes to become an interpreter); Inessa Volokitina, age 20 from Kirov, studying at St. Petersburg State University of Economics, majoring in Management with a specialization in Marketing and Brand Management.
The SPARK Program brings 100 selected Russian undergraduate students for 8-10 weeks to a university in the U.S. for academic research and cultural knowledge.
Several of the students had an opportunity to visit Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York City, Florida, California, and Alaska. Traveling around the country helped them understand how large and diverse the United States is, they commented.
They have been especially impressed by how open and friendly many Americans were. They also enjoyed experiencing American university life, particularly the strong sense of community on campus and the many opportunities available to students. They shared being “inspired by the openness of the people they met and by the feeling that big dreams are worth pursuing.”
Comments by students included “studying in the United States has been one of the best experiences of my life.” They were able to improve their English, become more independent, and step outside their comfort zone.
The students agreed they ”hope to return to the United States in the future, explore more states, and share the amazing country with their family because they think they would love it as much as they do.”
To learn more about the SPARK Program visit: https://sparkinamerica.org AND UW-Stout Polytechnic ESL Institute
Howard Lee is a retired UW-Stout faculty member where he served many years as International Relations Club faculty advisor. He may be reached at [email protected]
