My experience with ACTR began as a graduate student, teaching with "Live from Russia!" and proctoring the National Russian Essay Contest. Since 2017 I have worked as a high school teacher, and my students and I have benefitted tremendously from ACTR programming, including the ACTR Olympiada, the Pre-College Russian Scholar Laureate Awards, the National Russian Essay Contest, and the ACTR Virtual Teachers' Lounges. My students particularly value their participation in the Olympiada, so I look forward each year to helping them prepare, taking them to the competition, and celebrating their successes when it is time to present medals. My teaching practice is always enriched by learning about the work of other teachers, and the Virtual Teachers' Lounges have been an important item on my calendar since the pandemic; I have moderated or presented at several of those. Over the past year, I have served on several ACTR committees, including the Bridge-building Committee, (K-12 Outreach), the Olympiada Development Steering Committee, and the Pre-college Teaching Awards Committee.

Leadership Experience. How have you been a leader in your community, profession, and/or institution? How have your unique strengths, professional, and volunteer experiences prepared you to serve on the ACTR Board?

In addition to my service on ACTR committees, I have been a vice-president on the AATSEEL Executive Council since 2022, where I have also worked as a mentor in the AATSEEL k-12 Teacher Excellence Program. My students and I have participated in the past two AATSEEL Virtual Open Houses, a programed aimed at building connections between high school and college Russian programs, students, and teachers. At my school, I have developed a two-year high school Russian curriculum from the ground up, and I have encouraged the development of other foreign language programs. I am proud to be a self-appointed campus advocate for reasonable class sizes, rigorous instruction, and active learning.

Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion. How have you worked to create an inclusive environment in your classroom, workplace and/or community? What is something you have done in professional or volunteer service that demonstrates your commitment to be more inclusive of diverse populations and/or to provide greater access to the study of Russian by diverse populations?

Teaching in an urban charter high school, I work with a remarkably diverse student population, most of whom are Black and/or Hispanic. Many of our students come from economically marginalized communities, and a majority plan to be in their family's first generation of college graduates. This has made me keenly aware of the need to include and encourage students of all background in the study of Russian, and I strive to create a curriculum and a classroom environment that connects the study of the Russian language and Russian-speaking cultures to my students' lives. I believe it is imperative that students have access to a Russian curriculum that reflects the diversity of the Russian-speaking world.

Contributions to the ACTR Board. How would you like to contribute to the ACTR Board? What strengths, skills, and experience would you bring as an ACTR Board member?

I have worked on and with a number of ACTR committees over the past year, and I would hope to continue my work in those areas (k-12/postsecondary bridge-building, the Olympiada, and professional development). In addition to the skills I've developed as a classroom teacher and curriculum designer, I also have experience in newsletter publication and website maintenance.

Supporting Documentation for Candidacy