A little bit about myself…

I am not the person to whom a simple question, “Where are you from?” seems so simple. Being born in New Jersey, I was granted the status of an American citizen, a first-generation American citizen to add. However, the next 13 years of my life were spent in Ukraine, an underdeveloped, yet gorgeous, country in Eastern Europe. There, I have seen firsthand how the business is conducted and how investment projects are considered – it was a world that I had the privilege of observing from a young age under my father’s wing. On the one hand, such a world brought in immense profits, but on the other, it only added to the problem of an economic divide within the country.

Later on, I had moved to the Dominican Republic. There, I have nurtured my love for linguistics by learning Spanish alongside English, after already knowing both Russian and Ukrainian languages. Pursuing my other passion for economic development, I took a month to explore the island and visit the people living in the country’s most remote regions. I have seen people attempting to bring the natural gas industry to the Dominican Republic to better the lives of people; I have also seen those living in sheds, which are barely covered by roofs, working on strawberry plantations high up on the mountains with hardly any access to roads or electricity; I have interviewed the fishermen on Southern and northern parts of the country. After a month, I got to obtain insights into the direst necessities that the people voice across the country to better their welfare and business.

It was when I decided to move to the United States to obtain a degree and education necessary to put my experiences into action. Ever since then, my one and only goal was to return to the Dominican Republic, to Ukraine, and to the many other countries requiring international funding and assistance to help the people there on an interpersonal level. Whether it be through microloans or other means, I aim to develop workable projects that will boost the growth of small businesses within underdeveloped countries as well as general sustainability and welfare.

Currently, I am pursuing a B.A. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government in the School of Public Affairs at American University as well as a B.A. degree in Economics with an International Track. I am also working full-time at the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation as an Organization and Communication Strategist. There, I execute multiple projects that sponsor the organization’s primary goals: to support the development of democracy, a free-market economy, and human rights in Ukraine, as well as a strategist partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine.

In the future, I plan to take a year to volunteer with the Peace Corps, and non-profit organizations focused on economic development. I am also considering building a career in business consulting for multinational organizations.