Earlier this year, Russian major Johnny Amundson received a M&P Radley award from the Slavic Department. In his own words, Johnny will explain how he used his award to spend a summer in St. Petersburg.
"I received the M&P Radley scholarship from the Department of Slavic and Eastern European Languages and Cultures in the Spring of 2019. I used the scholarship to intern in St. Petersburg, Russia. The scholarship covered all of my flight costs and most of my living expenses. I got to live in the city center, just north of Mayakovskaya station, with a Russian grandmother who let her room to me.
My internship focused on marketing, and I worked on helping my company break into English speaking markets like Western Europe and North America. It my first work experience in a field that I was interested in. I found it really valuable because I was able to make connections that could help me get a full-time job in St. Pete after I graduate. My ability and confidence in my Russian speaking, listening, writing, and reading also drastically improved.
One of my favorite parts of staying in St. Pete was the white nights, where the sun wouldn’t fully set because of how far north the city is. The weather really held out while I was there, and most of the days were sunny and warm. I also really enjoyed the culture, history, and architecture of an older city like St. Petersburg, which was founded in 1703. I was lucky enough to have friends from OSU who also studied in St. Pete over the summer, but I made new friends quickly too!
I 100% recommend studying abroad in a language that you’re trying to learn, even if it’s just for a couple weeks. If money is an issue, you should talk to your department, because there were a lot of scholarships that they helped connect me to that I didn’t even know existed. A big thanks to the Slavic department here at OSU!"
