发布 8 a.m. 周一, 10月. 31, 2022
Exchange student traces father’s footsteps by attending UWL
William Savinkova is walking — 而且 studying — in his father’s footsteps.
Savinkova, an exchange student from the University of Stirling in Scotl而且, is attending UW-La拉 this fall as he pursues a degree in psychology.
In 1994-95, Savinkova的父亲, 迪米特里, studied at UWL through a partnership with La Crosse’s sister city Dubna, 俄罗斯. His positive memories of La Crosse 而且 UWL were a driving factor in his son’s decision to come here.
“I have chosen to come to UWL because I was the most familiar with this university thanks to my dad talking about his memories 而且 time here,萨文科娃解释道. “My dad has been giving me advice 而且 activities to do while I'm here, such as visiting the bluffs or going up to the river.”
Savinkova was born 而且 raised in France despite both of his parents hailing from Dubna.
He had originally planned to study abroad in another European country, but after learning about what UWL had to offer — both in terms of academics 而且 family history — his mind was made up.
His first two months on campus have gone smoothly, 他说, even if he’s still getting used to life in the United States.
“The biggest adjustment here is probably the walking distances 而且 the fact that everyone uses a car,萨文科娃说. “如果我要去市中心取东西, I need to prepare for a 40-minute walk because I have no car, 而且 I haven’t tried the bus system out yet.”
Savinkova says he misses the comforts of life back home — 俄罗斯n food, language 而且 culture. He misses his 朋友, too, especially since the time difference makes it hard to communicate.
All in all, he’s embracing his time in La Crosse 而且 taking new experiences as they come.
“It’s important to keep in mind that the program is only for a limited time,萨文科娃说, 谁会在12月回家. “It’s an opportunity to try something new while your home university makes sure everything goes smoothly 而且 provides help in any case, so you’re not completely alone in the experience.”
It also helps that his father has his own experiences with UWL, 而且 has been talking about them for years.
迪米特里, whose primary concentration was satellite communications, attended UWL to learn English in a university setting. His time in La Crosse provided him with a better underst而且ing of the outside world 而且 sparked his lasting love for the Coulee Region, 他儿子说.
“他非常喜欢美国的生活方式, 还有大学生活, to the point that he still talks about how good it was to this very day,萨文科娃指出. “He feels like it is such a good coincidence that UWL was on my exchange list, 而且 he hopes that I get to discover the exact same life that he did. It feels like a life accomplishment to him that I get to attend this university as well, 回溯他的脚步.”
After completing his undergraduate studies, Savinkova plans to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology or l而且 an internship as a psychology assistant. His ultimate goal is to get his PhD in the United Kingdom 而且 become a chartered psychologist.
Spending a semester at UWL allows him to pursue his passion while immersing himself in a new country 而且 culture. It’s an experience he’d recommend to others.
“The advice that I would give to anyone considering the study abroad program is simply go for it,他说. “世界是非常多样化的, 而且 that could be a good opportunity to travel 而且 to experience life within a different country.”