Minor in Russian

Paul Aubuchon

What inspired you to choose your degree in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages?

My mother worked as a Russian linguist in the 1980's. As a child, thanks to her, I developed an intense interest in Russia, the Cold War, and the Russian language. While I was unable to pursue Russian language studies in my youth, I was able to pick Russian language as a major when I was accepted to GMU. Attending GMU and studying Russian was practically a life-long dream of mine.

How did your degree program prepare you to pursue your current profession? How did learning a new language and culture impact your career path?

My program helped me develop an extremely strong fundamental understanding of the Russian language and the culture of Russia. It prepared me well to attend the Middlebury summer language program in 2022, where I was able to hone my language skills even further. I believe that the education I received at GMU gave me a competitive edge during my job search and helped me stand out as both a language and culture expert. I was able to achieve my goal of entering a profession where language is a fundamental part of each day.

What do you enjoy most about your current profession and why?

I sincerely enjoy getting to work with Russian language daily. I also appreciate working with other people who share my love for language learning as well, especially Russian, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to do so.

What accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud of?

I am most proud of completing Middlebury College's Russian language immersion program. It was extremely difficult but incredibly rewarding. It will remain one of the most foundational experiences of my life. I was also (much to my surprise) inducted into the Phi-Beta-Kappa Honors Society.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference while you were a student at Mason?

Elena Guglielmi, Dr. Steven Barnes, and Dr. Matthew Mangold. Each taught me incredibly important lessons about Russian culture, language, literature, history, and life that I rely on to this day. They are incredible educators, and I was very lucky to have been their student in one way or another.

What were some of your favorite campus activities at Mason that you recommend to others?

As a commuter student sometimes, it felt hard to connect to the community at Mason. However, some of my fondest memories of my time at GMU are of the days I spent in the library from early morning until my last class. I had the chance to wander the grounds and take in the whole atmosphere of the campus. This made me feel a lot more like I was actually a member of the GMU community, and I highly recommend trying to spend an entire day on campus if you're a commuter student who can afford the time to do so.

What do you do to keep up with your foreign language learning after graduation?

I enjoy immersing myself as much as possible in Russian language. My cellphone language is set to Russian, I watch Russian social media content, television programs, news, and listen to Russian podcasts. I communicate in Russian as much as I can. Unfortunately, language skills are perishable. But on the other hand, it's quite fun to make sure they don't go bad.