Vera Swanson still remembers registering for her first semester of fall classes in 2012. Now as a graduated UW alumna, Swanson looks back fondly on her enrollment in an introductory Russian course. After all, this course set a precedent for the rest of her time at UW and beyond.
The 23-year-old recent graduate recalls her freshman decision to enroll in introductory Russian with pride. Although unaware of it at the time, the decision would set her down a path of language learning on campus and overseas. As she soon fell in love with the language, she began to pursue it further and became a part of the Russian Flagship Program.
“The intimate class sizes and wealth of opportunities to spend time with my classmates and instructors make the Russian Flagship Program at UW-Madison truly remarkable,” Swanson said in an email.
Swanson previously interned abroad in Thailand through IIP. Also see her pictured and profiled on page one of the fall 2017 Language Flagship Newsletter.