In the summer of 2020, I was supposed to study abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia after completing my first year of college. Unfortunately, due to the start of the Covid Pandemic at the beginning of that year, the program was cancelled. From that point, I believed I had lost the opportunity to study abroad due to the continued pandemic and timing conflicts with my other studies. I continued studying Russian throughout college, but I thought the most exposure I would experience would be in the classroom. At the end of my senior year, my Russian professor pulled me aside and passionately exclaimed that I needed to apply for study abroad programs. She knew about my plans to take a gap year before medical school and insisted that a summer abroad after graduation would fit perfectly with my study abroad plans. Out of sheer curiosity and “what if” I began to search for programs and found the American Councils RLASP program. Immediately, the Almaty location piqued my interest.
When I got confirmation of my acceptance into the RLASP program, I was excited yet still hesitant about attending. After talking to friends and my professor, I realized this was a new opportunity in which I could push my Russian language skills to a new level and learn about a new culture. The months leading up to my departure were full of filling out forms and packing for my 2-month adventure! My biggest worry was finding a host family that could accommodate my living preferences. As a hijab-wearing Muslim woman, I preferred a living situation with women only. ACS’s information gathering greatly impressed me. From dietary preferences to housing preferences, I was able to detail my ideal living situation and received a placement even better than I could have imagined! My host family, a dentist and her niece around my age, was absolutely wonderful and contributed so much to my abroad experience.
During RLASP, I was able to explore Almaty with people from my program and take Russian classes in addition to a Kazakh culture class. My teachers and fellow program participants definitely added a positive aspect to my experience. In addition, our team of program directors were always available for anything. A typical week in Almaty consisted of class from 9 am to 1:30 pm Monday to Friday. Class was a great place for formal instruction, and I was able to review a lot of the things I learned during college. The repetition of certain dreaded topics (verbs of motion!!!) really cemented my understanding and ability to accurately use it while talking. I took a lot of the lessons I learned during class and tried to incorporate it in my speech when talking with language partners or my host family. While class was great, talking with locals helped the most in improving my language skills. Before coming to Almaty, my goal was to improve my natural talking skills in Russian and exploring Almaty definitely helped!
After class, my friends and I would explore different parts of the city. One of our favorite activities was to check out the food scene in the city! Some of my favorite memories involve different restaurants or cafes. Personally, I made it a mission to try laghman, a noodle dish, at different restaurants. Additionally, I had multiple language partners who were around my age and local to Almaty. Their own experiences helped me better understand youth culture in the country, and they were great sources of information.
As a future physician, cultural competency skills are vital. I hope to use my own experiences with Kazakh culture and my Russian language skills to make healthcare a more accessible environment for everyone while respecting their cultural background. My time in Almaty was an unmatched experience that I am grateful to have had.
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship Recipient
Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Almaty, Kazakhstan, Summer 2023