by Peter Guma
Garen Cross ‘24, a sophomore and prospective Russian major at Dickinson, was recently awarded a Project GO fellowship through Texas A&M University to study Russian in Kyrgyzstan. Project GO (Global Officer) is a prestigious program open to ROTC students pursuing “critical language education, overseas study, and cross-cultural experience.” For ten weeks, Garen will be developing his Russian language skills and learning more about Kyrgyz and central Asian culture in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The Russian Department congratulates Garen for this big accomplishment and wishes him luck in the summer ahead.
Garen started studying Russian between his freshman and sophomore years of high school when he was living in Moscow, Russia. There, he participated in the competitive NSLI-Y scholarship program for six weeks. Two years later, he traveled to Beloit, Wisconsin for a four-week intensive immersion program to further develop his language skills. He is now taking Russian courses at Dickinson and hopes to major in the language. When asked about what he plans to do with Russian, Garen responded, “I’m studying Russian, not only as a passion, but for my career path.” He will be commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Army after graduation and anticipates branching to military intelligence. “I hope that my language skills will be beneficial to my career and that I can make a difference with them,” remarked Garen.
Congratulations, Garen!
