Isabella Castro
Russian 2026 | Daugavpils, Latvia
Alumni Ambassador
2026
Isabella Castro participated in the 2025 CLS Russian Program hosted by Learn Russian in the European Union in Daugavpils, Latvia. Isabella is pursuing a B.A. in International Studies at the University of Florida, with a focus on Europe. She is also pursuing a second major in Dual Languages with specializations in French and Russian and a minor in Latin American Studies. Isabella hopes to build a career in foreign affairs and is particularly interested in the U.S. Foreign Service, national security, and federal service.
"CLS transformed the way I perceive both the Russian language and my own ability to speak it. Before CLS, I struggled to form even simple sentences, and I often felt self-conscious speaking in class as I studied mostly with heritage speakers. The complete language immersion of CLS showed me that I was capable of succeeding in Russian language study, and for the first time, Russian felt attainable rather than overwhelming."
– Isabella Castro
