Anna Belova

How did you choose your degree program?

Growing up in a Russian family, Russian culture has very much become a crucial part of my identity. I am deeply privileged and forever indebted to my parents for pushing me to learn Russian as a child and experience both Russian and American cultures simultaneously. As I grew older, I started learning more about Russian writers and their carefully cultivated literary works and I drew extensive meaning from the experiences described. One of my favorite authors is Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who wrote a multitude of books detailing his experiences as a political prisoner in the Soviet Union's GULAGs. Through his work, I became familiar with this idea of the 'Russian soul' and what exactly it means to be a Russian, which proves to be a difficult question to answer, given that Russia complies neither with Western or Eastern cultural norms, because there are so many ethnic groups, religions and cultural practices represented in the country. I chose to major in Russian language and culture as an affirmation and a deep commitment to my roots, my ancestors and all of the influential figures who worked so diligently to create modern Russian culture.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

Because the Russian and Eurasian Studies Department is small, many of my classmates were also my close friends, which made it easy to participate in discussion-based classes, such as those on Russian culture, short stories, and literature. I was keenly aware that my professors had a genuine interest in my contributions, which encouraged me to research topics covered in class on my own and share them with my classmates, a group of people who were equally fascinated by our field of study. In such a supportive community, I was able to explore my interests in a more meaningful way which ultimately led to a deeper understanding of self.

What accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud of?

A couple of years ago, I was in a Russian culture class and the professor assigned us a topic to research and create a PowerPoint to share with the class. My partner and I did a presentation on the Russian soul in which we explored the basic principles of Orthodox Christianity and how they played a pivotal role in Soviet history, as well as how the authority of the Orthodox Church shapes modern domestic and foreign policies in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Furthermore, I read War and Peace in my literature class this semester, which is an accomplishment that I will be proud of for many years to come.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career? Please give an example of this impact if possible.

One of my most memorable classes was a short stories class with Professor Helen Guglielmi. We read stories by a Vassily Aksyonov, a famous Russian author, with whom she used to work at Mason, therefore, she was able to give the class insight about his life and some of the thought processes that went into the creation of his most fascinating stories. Additionally, I really enjoyed working with Professor Matthew Mangold, who taught a War and Peace literature class this semester. Having read the book multiple times, he was able to share keen insights and support conversations about important questions, such as Leo Tolstoy's philosophy of war and how Tolstoy's own opinions of Russian aristocracy were influenced by the way he observed them from a peasant's perspective.

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

I currently have two part-time jobs: one as an exam proctor with Pearson VUE and another as an AVID tutor with Fairfax County Public Schools. I am currently getting my certifications to teach English as a foreign language to both children and adults with the hope of becoming an educator. In the long-term, I hope to complete graduate school and fulfill my goal of becoming a successful translator.