Kseniya Walcott
English Major: Languages Concentration
Minors: Russian Studies Interdisciplinary in Foreign Languages and Literature, and Linguistics & Culture Interdisciplinary in English
What brought you to CSU?
I came to CSU by chance. I admit it wasn’t my first choice, but I resolved that I wanted to go to school in a place bigger than my hometown Durango, CO. I had never been to CSU before, so I went on the faith that the campus would be lovely (which it is) and that I would have interesting experiences here in Fort Collins.
What has been the focus of your study while you’ve been at CSU? Has it changed over time at all, or is it the same as when you started.
The focus of my studies has drastically changed since I was a Freshman. When I first came to CSU, I started off as a Biomedical Sciences major and had my heart set on a career in forensic pathology. When I came here to actually study the sciences, I quickly realized my heart just wasn’t in it, so I decided to pursue things I was more passionate about: literature and language, particularly Russian and English linguistics.
Was there a specific class, professor, advisor, or fellow student who made an impression on you, helped you, or inspired you while at CSU?
In my Freshman year here, I was studying British Literature with Professor Rebecca Kennedy and I enjoyed everything about the class. I loved how she thoroughly organized every aspect of the course, the reading selections, and how I could really throw my entire heart into what I was learning. It was in that class that I realized it felt right to study literature, and that I much preferred it over the science and math classes I was taking at the time. She prompted me to think about a major in English, telling me I was good at it, and that I should at least consider it. That really stuck with me, and factored into my decision to drastically change my major from science to the humanities. One of the best choices I’ve ever made.
You will be graduating in spring of next year. What are your plans?
I have plans to apply to the TEFL/TESL program here at CSU, and I would like to go to Europe in Summer 2017.
Why is it important to study the Humanities?
Through the humanities we are free to discover the emotional intelligence inside of ourselves. No matter what humanity we decide is right for us, be it literature, philosophy, or dancing, this part of the educational system continues to endure because it allows us to engage with ourselves and society so that we may be compassionate, critical thinkers who can responsibly lead our generation and those after.
What advice do you have for CSU English Department students?
Study what you love, not what other people say you should love. You’re all the better for it because whatever kind of success you want always follows in how well you do what you love.
When you aren’t in school or working, what do you do? What do you love? What are you obsessed with?
I have a passion for creative writing and am currently in the process of composing a novel. The sad news is it will take me at least five years to write it, so I can get it the way I want, but the good news is I’m writing again after years and years of writer’s block. I also love to read classical Russian literature, my personal favorite being Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. I am also into modern writers such as Milan Kundera.
Where can we expect to find you in five years?
You can expect me living somewhere in either Europe or Asia, teaching English, and hopefully by then, I will have completed my novel and submitted it for publishing.