Anna Kozan

Anna Kozan participated in the 2023 CLS Spark for Russian hosted virtually by American Councils for International Education in Chisinau, Moldova and the 2024 CLS Russian Program hosted by American Councils for International Education in Tbilisi, Georgia. Anna graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language Studies. She is now living in Bengaluru, India as a Fulbright-Nehru Research Scholar conducting research on how language barriers affect access to healthcare, while learning the Hindi language. Anna is a Registered Nurse, and she plans to use her Russian skills to provide medical care to Russian-speaking populations affected by disasters worldwide.

Why Russian?

I decided to learn Russian because as a Registered Nurse practicing in New Jersey, I know I will have patients who speak Russian very often. While working in the hospital during my undergraduate education, I met many Russian-speaking patients and was unable to communicate with them. This was so frustrating to me because I knew that without being able to properly communicate with my patients, I was not able to give them equitable care. Speaking Russian helps me to build deeper connections with the different patient population in New Jersey as well as provide better care for them. Furthermore, I wish to pursue a career in public health and disaster relief nursing. Speaking Russian would allow me to assist Ukrainian and even Russian refugees who have been affected by the Ukrainian invasion. It will also help me communicate with “relocante”, individuals who have fled from Russia and seek free and independent lives in another country.

A Favorite Idiom

My favorite idiom in Russian is “вешать лапшу на уши, (Veshat' lapshu na ushi).” The literal meaning is “to hang noodles on someone’s ears,” but in Russian it means to deceive someone. I am not exactly sure how frequently it is used, but while I was abroad my native Russian-speaker friend taught it to me. I don’t know why but when I heard it, I laughed so hard and wanted to use it as often as I could. It’s such a cute expression!

Career Goals

Currently, I am conducting research in South India on how language barriers affect access to healthcare and quality of said care. After this Fulbright year, I plan to work as a registered nurse to gain experience, hopefully as a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurse, and obtain my master's in public health. After working as a PICU nurse for some years, I hope to further my education in nursing by becoming a nurse practitioner and traveling globally to participate in disaster relief nursing. For this field, speaking Russian will be crucial as I hope to provide medical care for those who have been affected by the ongoing invasion of Ukraine and assist Russian-speaking refugees in other countries including the U.S.

CLS’s Impact

The CLS Program - both CLS Spark from Moldova and CLS in Georgia - left a lifelong impression on me. One aspect that influenced me greatly is the fact that in both programs, I was learning from/in a country that is not well understood in the U.S. After each program, I had a stronger understanding of each respective country’s culture, politics, and linguistics. Through my new understanding, I could raise awareness about not only these countries’ cultures, but also about their geopolitical importance.

My experience with CLS changed my life. It made me realize I can achieve so much more than I think, not only rapid language gains but confidence, independence, and freedom to explore the world independently. It helped me realize that the key to overcoming prejudice and bias is to exhibit cultural curiosity. While I was abroad in Georgia, Mariam, one of the amazing American Councils staff taught us a phrase, “Not good, not bad, just different.” This phrase became an anthem for me when approaching any culture, including my own. It helps me to keep an open mind and to seek understanding rather than forming judgments. Finally, learning Russian through CLS made me realize the exponential impact I can have on both my local and global communities. With every language comes hundreds of new connections, and I hope to maintain this language and hold on to that truth in the future.