Hi! My name is Andre Berglund, and I am a Senior at Villanova University majoring in Finance and International Business, with a Concentration in Russian Area Studies. Growing up in a Russian household, I learned to speak the language from my Mother and Grandmother. While at home, however, I never took the opportunity to take a deep dive into Russia’s past and truly study my “roots” on a deeper level. Through RAS, I have been able to grasp that opportunity and learn about my culture from courses in history, theology, film, literature, and more, bringing me a deeper understanding and a newfound appreciation for Russian culture!
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Update April 2022: Congratulations to Angela who received the 2022 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Alexander Pushkin Medallion for excellence in the major of Russian Area Studies. The Medallions for Academic Excellence honor students in the College who, by their outstanding academic achievement in their respective majors, exemplify the Augustinian ideal of people living in community united in “mind and heart” in a passionate pursuit of knowledge. The Russian Area Studies faculty and Director commented in Angela’s recommendation letter, “A student with a wonderful personality, who from her freshman year showed great interest in and passion for Russian language and cultural studies.”
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I arrived at Villanova as an Undeclared Liberal Arts major, but I knew I wanted to take Russian language classes. It was easy to fall in love with Russia since my first day of classes, from the language to politics to culture. Declaring GIS: Russian Area Studies as my major became a natural choice because of the enthusiasm of the professors in the Russian Area Studies program.