Wilton Bulletin
Wilton graduate heading to Russia to continue her studies

Dec 16, 2007

Olivia Schum, a Wilton native and member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2009, has been awarded a $1,500 Charles Braver Language Exploration Grant to fund her language studies in Moscow, Russia, during the spring 2008 semester.

A double major in Russian and history, Ms. Schum will study at the Lomonosov Center at Moscow State University next spring, where she is enrolled in a program titled Russian as a Second Language.

The curriculum focuses on discussing, reading and writing in Russian, and then applying those lessons to daily Russian life through current events, history and cultural studies.

“Fully grasping the Russian language will help me tremendously with my future career ambition of working for the U.S State Department, especially in the bureaus pertaining to Russia and Russian foreign policy,” Ms. Schum said. “In the near future, I want to become as fluent as possible in order to be able to conduct research in Russian for my senior thesis on aspects of Russian history.”

According to one of her instructors, Amy Adams, associate professor of Russian at Holy Cross, “The Charles Braver Language Exploration Grant is awarded to students who demonstrate clear goals in gaining an understanding of Russia – the country, its people, and its language. Olivia Schum is one of our most talented Russian students, with a fine appreciation for the culture and a talent for the language.”

On campus, Ms. Schum is actively involved in the Russian Club, the History Student Advisory Committee and the Purple Key Society. She is a board member for the Alternative College Theater (ACT), a student-run organization, and is choreographing the musical Sweet Charity, which will debut in January.

Ms. Schum also serves as a Manresa retreat leader, a campus tour guide, a head greeter at Mass, and a big sister to a little girl in Worcester, Mass.

The Charles Braver Language Exploration Grant is awarded in memory of Charles Braver, an educator who worked for many years to promote and practice cross-cultural teaching, learning, and geographical and intellectual exploration.


© Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers