Achievements of Russian Women Abroad
TO RISK AND WIN

Here is life, an experiment to a great extent untried by me…
Henry David Thoreau Walden

Svetlana did not come to the United States via Fiancee visa. She was among the winners of the Green Card lottery. She was not desperate in Russia; on the contrary she had much to leave behind the ocean. What had been waiting her abroad? She could not tell until she tried. And she did… Did she ever regret about her choice? I believe, not. Svetlana is one of those Russian women, who may inspire all of us to move forward and make it! By my request, Svetlana sent me her Personal Statement, which she prepared for the Law school, where she had been recently accepted. After I had read it, I decided to share it with all Russian Women living Abroad. I hope it will be as inspiring for all of you, as it was for me.

These words became my motto the moment I stepped off the plane that carried me from my native Russia almost five years ago. When I became a winner of a green card lottery ticket through the U.S. State Department's annual diversity visa program, I hesitated to accept it. I had a great deal to leave behind – my family, friends, growing career aspirations – and I had no certain future in the United States. I had no friends or relatives who could support me during the acclimatization period. But my natural enthusiasm about life took its course: I was nineteen years old and eager to try out a completely different lifestyle. And now, five years later, I have no regrets, just appreciation for the chance that many people in the world only dream of and only a few are given. From struggling with emotional and material hardships that I often thought I would not be able to overcome, I have discovered my strengths, come to appreciate my potential, and learned how to treat others and how to earn respect.

I was not unprepared for these challenges. I brought with me to the United States a confidence based on numerous accomplishments. I had been successful academically: I received a Gold Medal at high school graduation (the highest national high school award of the Russian Federation), and for three consecutive years I represented my school at regional competitions in mathematics and physics. In addition to my academic achievements, I served as an active member of the history research museum, completed seven years of music school, attained a professional certification in machine embroidery, and participated in local ballroom dancing competitions.

After graduation from high school, I was accepted to the Stavropol State University (formerly Stavropol Pedagogical Institute), one of the best law schools in Stavropol province. It was an exciting and challenging time to study law because the new Constitution and revised Civil Code were being developed and adopted. I worked part-time as a law clerk to the first attorney in the province who was licensed to practice privately. My fascination with the on-going privatization of formerly state-owned property led me to study accounting and obtain the certificate that allowed me to assist my father in his small business. 

All this was left behind when I embarked on my new life. The first six months were the hardest. In addition to the complete isolation from anything familiar and dear to me, I had to surmount the language barrier. Years of studying English in high school and law school did not prepare me to understand spoken English, and I was embarrassed to utter even the simplest phrases for fear of not being understood. Yet I needed housing and a job to sustain myself. A minimum wage job at a Russian delicatessen met my immediate financial needs but did not provide me any means to improve my English language proficiency. My Russian customers laughed at my law school ambitions, saying that the field of law is not for an immigrant because it requires a proficiency in English that I would be unlikely to achieve. I ignored their skepticism and devoted all of my free time to reading books in English, actively listening to the speech of native speakers, and constantly practicing to imitate the sounds I heard. 

Within eight months of my arrival, I had become a hostess at an American restaurant and begun avoiding anything Russian – speech, books, music, friends and traditions. I forced myself into this unnatural and painful denial of my culture and identity in order to integrate into American society. My way of assimilating cost a lot, but it worked well; in little over a year after my arrival I completed a clerical program at the City College of San Francisco where I learned to type, use a computer and improve my linguistic skills.

As I became increasingly comfortable with American life I renewed my contacts with the Russian immigrant community. At last I could happily inhabit both worlds. My strong work ethic, combined with my natural abilities, has allowed me to enjoy considerable success both academically and in my employment. While attending San Francisco State University, I worked as a waitress and, my last two semesters, also as a litigation paralegal. Despite work demands, I graduated summa cum laude, was named the Hood Recipient for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (the award given to the student with the most distinguished record), and was elected into Phi Beta Kappa.  

Shortly after graduation I joined Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP as a transactional paralegal where I continue to work to the present day. I have been fortunate to be given levels of responsibility that only associates are given at other law firms. I developed the first paralegal manual for the Commerce & Finance group and trained all of the paralegals who joined the group after me. When I decided to move to Seattle, I was pleased to be offered the contract position that demonstrated the confidence that the group attorneys have in my skills and capabilities. I am frequently flown to the Bay Area to assist in closings, training sessions and other transactional events.

My academic achievements, practical encounters with law in Russia, and paraprofessional experience in the United States have convinced me that the legal profession will challenge me with intellectually stimulating content as well as complex interactions with people. In many ways the first year of law school is akin to full immersion in a foreign, sometimes hostile, environment, and will demand learning what is essentially a second language – the language of the law. I eagerly await the chance to demonstrate in the context of a legal education the same self-discipline and commitment that I have brought to my adjustment to American culture.