I was born and raised in New Jersey. From a young age, I developed an interest – what some call an obsession – in Russian, Soviet and Central Asian studies.

I am in the 5-year B.S.F.S./M.A. Program at CERES. When I began my undergraduate education, I had no intention of pursuing an accelerated degree program. It wasn’t until spring semester of my sophomore year, at the suggestion of a professor, when I realized the CERES MA program was a

good fit given my regional interests. Few universities in the world offer faculty, courses and research facilities on Central Asia. The CERES faculty represent a range of academic disciplines, are widely published, and possess extensive professional, on-the-ground experience in the “stans.” I knew that at Georgetown, I would study in small classes, with highly motivated peers, and my professors would be devoted to ensuring my intellectual growth. The Georgetown administration is flexible and willing to help me pursue individual research interests while adhering to the core curriculum. Georgetown’s location in D.C. is ideal for developing professional networks.

After completing my BSFS language proficiency in French, I studied abroad in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2011. I twice received the State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study in Vladimir (2012) and in Ufa (2013). My senior year, I researched “The Denuclearization of Kazakhstan (1991-1995)” under the mentorship of Ambassador Steven Pifer, as a Junior Research Fellow through Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.

I previously wrote for “Central Asia Newswire,” “KazakhWorld” and worked as an analyst for Sidar Global Advisors. I have been published in The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. For fun, I maintain my blog, “The Sholk Road Adventures.”

I am on a leave of absence for the 2013-2014 academic year, researching entrepreneurship in the informal bazaar economy in Almaty, on a Fulbright fellowship. I will return to the hilltop in Fall 2014. While my post-graduation plans are not yet clear, one of my life goals is to teach every American how to write, pronounce and identify on a map the names of the Central Asian states.

Dena Sholk - 2015