Scholarship and Service
Air Force ROTC cadet preps for an international career
Nearly 15 years ago, 糖心vlog senior Tetiana Panina and her family emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S. to pursue a better life.
鈥淎s a first-generation immigrant, the U.S. has given me educational and financial opportunities I couldn鈥檛 access in my native country,鈥 said Panina, who is pursuing a major in Russian language and minor in computer science. 鈥淚鈥檓 beyond grateful for this, and I want to do something meaningful to allow future generations to enjoy these freedoms and opportunities.鈥
The Ukrainian-led revolution in 2014 and the Russian invasion that followed were stark reminders of the stability and opportunity some take for granted in the West. Panina sought the chance to serve her new homeland by joining FSU鈥檚 Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, or AFROTC, as a cadet during her first year at the university, said Robert Romanchuk, associate professor of Slavic and associate chair for undergraduate studies in the FSU Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics.
The great changes ushered in by the revolution also inspired Panina to devote herself to the study of Russian and Ukranian languages, cultures, politics and history, Romanchuk explained.
鈥As a first-generation immigrant, the U.S. has given me educational and financial opportunities I couldn鈥檛 access in my native country.鈥
鈥 Tetiana Panina
Panina hadn鈥檛 previously considered joining the military but soon found herself thriving in the structured training culture. And while she originally joined to give back to the country that had provided her so much, Panina quickly saw AFROTC could unlock considerable career choices.
Former professor of aerospace studies Air Force Capt. David Miller suggested studying Russian could open the door for meaningful opportunities. After changing majors, Panina realized her Russian and Ukrainian languages and cultural knowledge are the foundation for her immediate and long-term goals.
鈥淯pon arriving at college, I had no intention of pursuing language studies,鈥 Panina said. 鈥淎fter Capt. Miller鈥檚 suggestion, I realized dual-language literacy, especially in a critical language like Russian, is indispensable in cultural, academic and professional contexts. Learning an additional language gives you access to an entirely new world of literature, music, people, history and more.鈥
In 2017, Panina was a finalist for FSU鈥檚 Presidential Scholars program and earned the Air Force Critical Language Scholarship. In 2020, she was selected for the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award from the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, the Project Global Officer Summer Study Abroad Scholarship, and the prestigious Boren Scholarship.
鈥淭etiana is an exceptional student, cadet and leader, and she fully embraces and personifies Air Force core values,鈥 said assistant professor of aerospace studies and operations officer Air Force Capt. Drew Dutcher. 鈥淪he has proven extremely adept in both her leadership and followership abilities, and her drive, dedication, and commitment to academics and AFROTC is unparalleled.鈥
After graduation and commissioning as an active duty second lieutenant in the Air Force this spring, Panina hopes to join the U.S. intelligence community and work in Eastern Europe. Her long-term career goals include becoming an attach茅 for American embassies in Ukraine or Russia. While on active duty, she aims to pursue bachelor鈥檚 degrees in computer science and psychology and a master鈥檚 degree in Russian.
鈥淭etiana is very responsible about what she says and does. She measures her words carefully before she speaks and the consequences before she acts,鈥 Romanchuk said. 鈥淭his sense of responsibility to language and action makes her a good scholar; she doesn鈥檛 engage in leaps of logic or faith, and her conclusions are limited to what can be proven on the basis of evidence.鈥
McKenzie Harris is pursuing a master鈥檚 in Media/Communication Studies. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 in English with a concentration in Editing, Writing and Media in May 2020.