“I am grateful that the ASPR Fund lent support towards my studies last summer, at the 8-week Russian language program, Middlebury Language Schools. Becoming proficient in Russian comprehension is essential for my upcoming archaeological research in Central Asia. With an effective language pledge in place at Middlebury, students and instructors together foster a Russian-only experience within and beyond the classroom. Thanks to well-planned Russian courses, events, and club activities, I was provided with precious opportunities to polish my reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in Russian. The entire program enabled me to understand Russian-written archaeological reports, and better communicate and interact with local scholars and communities during fieldworks in Central Asia. Through this program, I was able to excel in the Advanced Russian course at Harvard during the subsequent fall semester.”