Meet Paige, Our New Program Coordinator

Interview with Paige Brewer, Program Coordinator 

Where are you from?

I’m from Kentucky. 

Where did you go to college, and what was your major?

I went to the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. I studied Political Science and minored in Russian Studies.

What’s your native language? What languages have you studied?

My native language is English (I’m American). I’ve studied Russian and a little bit of Polish. 

What got you interested in those languages?

In high school and college, I was fascinated by 20th century history and the history of the Soviet Union. I spent a semester in Poland and studied Polish and Holocaust history. Studying Russian helped me learn more about Central Asia, a part of the world I knew almost nothing about. I really liked the idea of going to a part of the world no one I knew had ever been to before, so I decided to pursue a Fulbright ETA in Kazakhstan. 

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to?

Central Asia is very close to my heart. Mongolia is my favorite place because it’s the place I’ve traveled to that is, in my opinion, the most different from the Western world. Almost a third of the population is still living as nomads.

If you could have dinner with any famous person, who would you have dinner with?

Michelle Obama. I’ve read both of her books and feel very inspired by her life. It’s amazing for someone to have such a public profile and still be so down-to-earth. I think she’d be able to offer very good life advice.

Why GLN?

I took a Russian class with GLN in 2018. I know so many people looking for opportunities to study languages in the DC area who have found GLN offers exactly what they’re looking for. It’s incredible to have this ever-growing network of teachers and learners both in-person and online. It’s a great way to feel connected both to the DC community and the wider world.