From Russia, with Help

With support from the Diane and John Savage Scholarship, Yuliya Stepanovna Gileva 12C of Mount Hope, Alabama, found her place.

“My mom is from Russia, and we lived in the city of Arkhangelsk until moving to Alabama when I was twelve,” says Gileva, whose father is a community college professor. “In a small town, being different isn’t always the best thing, and I wanted to fit in. Very Southern things like four-wheelers and Friday night football became part of who I am. When I got to Emory, people asked me what Russia was like, and I began to embrace my roots.”

The Diane and John Savage Scholarship supports an Emory College of Arts and Sciences student who meets the eligibility requirements of a program designed to reduce financial barriers and help make an Emory education accessible to any qualified student. Diane W. Savage 71C serves on the Emory Board of Trustees.

The funding allowed Gileva the time and freedom to establish the Slavic Club, with the help of faculty sponsor Elena Glazov-Corrigan, associate professor of Russian literature. Gileva arranged for Emory professors who specialize in Eastern Europe to speak to the club, which fostered awareness of Eastern European issues on campus and in the world.

“Through the club, I felt I was doing something for Emory, making an imprint,” says Gileva, who is working for a law firm and plans to apply to law school. “Through Emory, I landed firmly on my feet.”