A Note from a Political Science International Student

As our goal with this blog is to give our members a platform for expressing political opinion, we have opened up to students who wish to write "op-ed" pieces about political issues that are important to them. These pieces do not reflect official views of our club, but rather help to demonstrate the diversity of ideas and opinions our members have.

Our second piece comes from Irina Melnic.

Feel free to leave comments and discuss

A Note From a Political Science International Student

Irina Melnic

Imelnic@aug.edu

 My career choice is an outcome of my life experience. I was born in Ukraine during the Soviet Union and two years later, when it fell apart, my parents moved back to their home country, Moldova, because they were worried that their children will grow up without learning their native language. I grew up listening to horrifying stories from my grandparents about subversion of cultures and people during the Soviet Union. I had to teach my parents the Romanian alphabet because they were forced to write with Cyrillic’s. I grew up confused about my country’s history. The language I was speaking home was spoiled Romanian with intrusion of Russian words. At school and public areas I had to speak pure Romanian, in order to be considered literate. I was forced by the circumstances to speak Russian because a large population of Russians in Moldova never learned Romanian, and communication was impossible. Growing up in a country that struggles to recover after political and cultural suppression, I became interested in discovering different cultures and political systems.

The door to American culture was opened to me by an American Peace Corp volunteer, Mrs. Virginia Bazaar, who was teaching English at my school. Later, I participated in the Future Leaders Exchange Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and went to Greenbrier High School in Evans, GA, as a sophomore. As an exchange student, I discovered the U.S. educational system. I learned that hard work is rewarding. When I went back to Moldova, I participated in a program called “Bridges between us.” I did my best to share with the Moldovan community what I have learned about American society. When asked what I think about the U.S., my most common answer was that the U.S.A. is not perfect. After all, Winston Churchill did mention in one of his speeches that “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time" (from a House of Commons speech on Nov. 11, 1947).  However, U.S. is indeed the land of opportunity. Therefore, after two years of college studying International Relations at Moldova State University, I transferred to Augusta State University. First, I was impressed by the staff.  Mrs. Carol Giardina, Associate Director of Admissions who works with international admissions and Mrs. Gina Thurman, Assistant Dean of Students, have been of great help assisting me with the enrollment process.  I must admit that by the time I graduate, I will be an expert in filling out paper work, especially as an international student. Apparently, bureaucracy is an international phenomenon.  The Political Science Department Faculty and Staff assisted me in the painful adventure of transferring credits from my previous university. Dr. Sudha Ratan, the Chair of the department, mentioned during a political science club field trip to Washington D.C. that she “is shameless when it comes to her students” in regard to scholarships and other forms of support. These words have given me the necessary confidence in achieving success. When I started my classes, I was impressed how receptive professors were. I have been going to ASU for one year, and all my professors have been willing to assist me in achieving the course’s objectives. Wherever I go, the Reese Library, the Media Center, the JSAC, or any other office at ASU, I am impressed by the quality of people and their work.

ASU is definitely a good start for my career in Political Science and International Relations.  Class activities and extra-curricular activities available through a variety of clubs combine academia with real life. I would like to tell all the students that go to ASU that although some may encounter minor problems, they should be grateful for having a chance to go to a school that does indeed achieve its statement to accomplish “excellence in teaching, advancement of knowledge, and enrichment of the community.” I have witnessed “excellence in teaching” through teacher’s approach to motivating, supporting and helping their students, “advancement of knowledge” through constant update of necessary resources, and “enrichment of the community” through community service opportunities and activities to prepare the future leaders of society. I believe in ASU and I am confident that I will graduate prepared for the real world.