Being a native speaker, I entered the department in full confidence of my language abilities. Well, it only lasted until I took Professor Del's class. Humbled and mortified of how many things I knew but could not explicate about the language, I had to actually study grammar books. During my years in the Department, I attended conferences (in and out of the country), chaperoned the Study Abroad program, participated in heated discussion, conducted my own field research, and made life-long friends in the Russian club. I acquired so much more knowledge and appreciation of my Russian culture through the eyes of the professors. Now, when I teach English and World Literature to the high school students, I am trying to instill the passion and power of the languages and literatures in them.
