Transatlantic Education

Photo courtesy of Evgeniya Stetsenko

You have been approved for a visa to the United States,” the representative of the Student Work & Travel agency said. “You will be going to Florida for the summer and will return in time for your next year at the university.”

It was 2003, I was in Russia and not everyone got approved. Every piece of paperwork had to be in order, and your school grades had to be deemed satisfactory. I was ecstatic until fears of flying for the first time and going to an unknown place set in. I could barely focus enough to pack, but there was no turning back.

I was mentally prepared for an exciting journey, but I was hopeful, too, that the universe would look after me as I took a big leap.

Several years passed. Life happened. I wanted to stay and explore America and discover more about myself in the process.

It seemed like suddenly I was a single mom with a 3-year-old and working two jobs. I was deeply lost. Amid confusion resulting from working a lot and a traumatic four years of marriage during which my confidence was almost destroyed, I went back to school. I needed a degree, and I needed to finish what I started back home, before my kid graduated.

You only need one goal to constructively challenge your energies, even if that goal may seem a little insane for starters.

In Russia, I was surrounded by books. My parents were readers, and I became an avid reader as a child. Oftentimes, my mom (who still lives in Russia) and I talk about what we are currently reading when we connect on video chat; those are the best conversations!

At Florida State University Panama City, I chose to major in the subject that was the most interesting to me — professional communication.
It was exciting to learn about it, write and, of course, read a lot.

Photo courtesy of Evgeniya Stetsenko

I thought about law school — I heard they read a lot there, too — but life was taking me on the journey that I had in mind when I first came to the United States, and I grabbed its hand, trusting that it would lead me to success.

After four long years of taking classes, working multiple jobs and raising my daughter, I finally earned a college degree, graduating cum laude. From the time I started at the university in Russia to graduating from FSU, I had spent 15 years working toward my bachelor’s degree in professional communication with a minor in Russian literature.

I could not believe that I was finally done. People congratulated me, celebrated my achievement and said they were proud of me. I had some mixed feelings, though. I was glad that there were no more due dates and that I could now read whatever I wanted for pleasure. But I was scared about trying to find a real job that would enable me to use what I had learned in school.

I was sad that I had missed so much time with my daughter while she was growing up, even though I mostly studied at night. I felt fear and resentment when I started applying for jobs and realized I was missing some skills, but I kept reading and learning on my own time.

I have no regrets about moving to the United States when I was 19, going through really difficult times and going to school. I have now paid off all my student loans, and I have an amazing job in my field. Every day, I feel grateful for the people I’ve met in the past 20 years while living in America. And I am excited for whatever is to come.