During the Slavic Department Convocation and Awards Ceremony, the five recipients of the 2026 Best Language Student Awards were recognized for their outstanding efforts in the department. Four students who recently completed their first and second years of Russian were awarded the 2026 Best Russian Language Student Awards, and one student received the Best Polish Language Student Award. These awards are given to students who have excelled in their language courses and have shown resilience towards their language learning studies.
“Receiving this award means a great deal to me, as studying the Polish language and Polish culture has become an important part of my academic and personal life,” Sasha Orlova, a second-year PhD student in the Slavic Languages & Literatures Department and sole winner of the Best Polish Language Student Award said.
Orlova’s experience as an international student with a deep interest in Slavic culture combined with her previous work with Polish poetry has contributed to a deep enjoyment of her choice of study with the Slavic Department. She hopes to continue improving her Polish skills to be able to read poetry in the original language and speak it fluently.
“What I have found most motivating about studying Polish is the opportunity to learn a new Slavic language and become more familiar with the country’s culture and literature,” Orlova said. With her background as a native Russian speaker, she has enjoyed the analysis between Polish and Russian and hopes to one day travel to Poland to experience the language in its original location.
Ruth Blinderman, a fourth-year Education Studies major with a concentration in Language and Multilingual Classrooms, has won the Best Russian Language Student Award for two consecutive years.
“Studying Russian is very personal to me since I'm re-learning it to connect more deeply with my family and my culture. This award validates that I am making progress toward those goals by recognizing that even though I'm extremely motivated, learning Russian is really hard work,” Blinderman said.
In continuing her studies on language acquisition and multilingual learning, Blinderman continues to find the rewarding parts of combining experience with a formal education.
“I have discovered that studying Russian is exactly what I want to do and I have dedicated a lot of time in doing so,” Finn Taylor, a second-year studying Russian Language, Literature, and Culture, said.
Taylor has enjoyed the style of curriculum that comes with language learning. From being creative with learning new words to express yourself to learning the culture and structure of the Russian language through Russian literature and film, it has acted as a powerful way to empower learning a difficult language.
Hunter Johnson received the 1st Year Russian Best Language Student Award as a physics major. “This award means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “Going through university is hard enough on its own and even harder when you are trying to do the best work you can. I'm very grateful to have the effort I put in recognized.”
Through their studies of language and literature, the student awardees have deepened their dedication to culture. The Slavic Department is proud to recognize their efforts in their Slavic studies.