Latvia Student Profiles
USAP Latvia opened doors in 2005. So far there a total of seven students studying in the US from Latvia who graduated from USAP. Below are the profiles of some of our Latvian students.
Arturs Saburovs
St. Lawrence University '10
Arturs Saburovs was born and raised in Latvia. At St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, Arturs is majoring in Environmental Studies and Government and minoring in Francophone Studies. He graduated from Adazi Secondary School in Latvia in 2006. During high school he led the European Union Youth in Action international exchange projects in Lithuania and Turkey. He also worked on an independent project and introduced plastic and paper recycling system at his high school.
At St. Lawrence, Arturs has been very active in international student activities. He has organized many events, participated in different committees on spiritual life, studies abroad and student life. He has held high leadership positions as the International Students Coordinator and the International House Coordinator. He has also been active with raising awareness about climate change. He spent his summer after the junior year doing research on US Climate Change Policy at the Earthwatch Institute headquarters outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
Arturs spent a semester in three French-speaking countries Quebec City, Canada; Rouen, France and Dakar, Senegal where he studied the francophone cultures, history and the French language. He also spent a semester with the St. Lawrence University Kenya Semester Program in Nairobi where he studied biodiversity conservation issues, governance, Kiswahili language and did a month long independent study with the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group on participatory forest management in Tanzania. At the end of the semester he was invited to complete an internship with the United Nations Environment Programme which is based in Nairobi.
Arturs is interested in climate change, water issues, human rights issues, African environment, the European Union politics, Islamic studies and languages. Upon his graduation, Arturs would like to work in environmental conservation and policy areas and attend graduate school. Arturs never stops dreaming and working hard to fulfill his dreams.
Jelena Jesajana
Middlebury College '10
Jelena comes from Riga, Latvia. In 2005 she became a USAP scholar and since then her perception of the world has changed dramatically. Enjoying plentiful resources available in Middlebury, she is majoring in International studies/European Studies: Political Science and German. Apart from studying, she enjoys a Midd student life and participates in various clubs and organizations. Jelena is a member of RIDDIM World Dance Troupe, Russian and East European Club, Burmese Club, Dialogues for Peace. Being a part of RIDDIM changed her idea of dancing and of using the body language for self-expression.
During the 2008-2009 academic year, Jelena will study abroad in Germany at the Freie Universitat Berlin where she will study political science in Otto-Suhr Institut. While in Germany, Jelena plans to intern at the German Parliament in order to learn more about the German politics and policy making processes. Jelena plans to pursue a career in diplomacy and human rights, and ultimately return home to Latvia where she hopes to contribute to the political future of Latvia.