Ask an Alum: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Ulyanovsk, Russia

Kathleen Cohen graduated from Tufts University with a degree in international relations and learned Russian during her four years there. After studying abroad in St. Petersburg with CIEE for a semester, she knew she wanted to learn more about Russia than one semester could offer. Kathleen applied for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Russia and got placed in Ulyanovsk, a provincial city on the banks of the Volga and birthplace to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. She decided to continue teaching at a local language school there for a year after her Fulbright ended. Hoping to continue her connection to the region from the U.S., she is currently working in communications at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.

Why did you choose to apply for a Fulbright scholarship?

After studying abroad in St. Petersburg, I really wanted to get a more in-depth view of everyday life in Russia outside of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Fulbright was the perfect opportunity for this since they place grantees all over the country. I also really wanted to improve my Russian to a near fluent level.

How did your CIEE program influence your decision to apply for Fulbright?

I think my interest in Russia would've faded out after college had I not gone to St. Petersburg. I don't think I would have thought to apply to go to Russia.

What was the focus of your Fulbright scholarship?

I completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA), so my main focus was teaching English to students at my placement, Ulyanovsk State Technical University. A professor at the university invited me to help her translate a book from Russian into English, so that's how I became copyeditor of "Life of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" for the V.I. Lenin Memorial Center, Ulyanovsk. 

Kathleen with her host mom during her CIEE program.

What advice would you give to CIEE alums interested in applying for a Fulbright scholarship?

Take advantage of your university's resources, even if you're an alum. Your university wants to have Fulbrighters from there, and they have scholarships advisers who will be able to help you through the application process. The Fulbright application can be particular, so it helps to have the advice and support of someone who has helped students in the past and is familiar with it.

Do you have advice for the CIEE Alumni Global Network? Email alumni@ciee.org.