Shannon Wilson, B.A.'20 in political science and international and global studies, received the 2020 Russian Scholar Laureate Award from the American Council of Teachers of Russian for her excellent studies of the Russian language, which she has taken for four semesters, as well as participating in an intensive summer language program at the University of Pittsburgh.

During her time at the University of Arkansas, Wilson was enrolled in the school's Air Force ROTC program. Upon graduating, she will also be commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, where she will begin the Air Force's flight school to become a pilot.

"I began studying Russian my sophomore year, and it didn't take long for me to love the language and realize I wanted to turn this interest into a long-term goal," Wilson said. "Learning Russian not only taught me the language and culture; it taught me study habits, time management, and to get out of my comfort zone. The course showed me how fascinating the Russian-speaking world is — and has definitely given me an itch to travel! I also need to mention that taking the Advanced Russian summer course at the University of Pittsburgh was one of the best experiences of my life. It just goes to show what amazing opportunities are out there for you when you learn Russian! I look forward to continuing my Russian studies whilst in the military and using it on my global travels."

This year, the American Council of Teachers of Russian rewarded 78 Russian programs across the country to acknowledge the achievements of their students studying Russian. Only one senior student per program could be nominated for the award. Shannon Wilson is the fourth recipient of this award for the U of A Russian program.

Previous Russian Scholar Laureate Awards recipients include:

• Sydney Gower, 2019
• Stephen Tate, 2018
• Brittany Jacobson, 2017

Visit the full list of all programs and their ACTR Laureates.

The University of Arkansas Russian program offers all levels of Russian, as well as literature seminars in English. You can explore the Fall 2020 course offerings at the Russian Program page in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures.