Renee Slawsky

MAERES Class of 2016

Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, I attended Wake

Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
where I double majored in Political Science and
Russian with a minor in Journalism. While at Wake
Forest, I worked as an editor and writer for the student
newspaper. That work piqued my interest in journalism
and spurred me to internships with local newspapers and
marketing firms.

C E RE S S t u d e n t P r o f i l e

After graduating from Wake Forest, I was granted a

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in the city of
Kirov, Russia. I taught a number of English classes and
became an integrated member of the community. My
experience with Fulbright was life-changing, and I am thankful for all it taught me.
I began doing ballet at the age of four and continued up until I left for college. Ballet has a very rich history
in Russia, and I was enthralled with Imperial Russian ballets and famous dancers like Anna Pavlova and Rudolf Nureyev. Additionally, my education in a foreign language began with French, and I realized that I liked
learning new languages. I decided to combine my interest in ballet and Russia with my interest in international politics. As a result, I chose to study Russian - the language of a very politically and culturally salient
region of the world - and focused on the regions politics as well.
I chose CERES because I appreciated the mix of professional and academic focus. Graduate school should
further your formal education, but it should also prepare you for a career in the field of your choosing. I believe that CERES does that. Also, I was attracted by the internship and networking
opportunities the program offers being located in DC and having such a wide-reaching alumni network. I
was also impressed with the course offerings that CERES has and the reputation of the faculty. My focus at
CERES has been more on media studies, specifically the effects of the fall of the Soviet Union on the current
Russian media landscape. However, CERES incorporates many fields of study and there is something for
everyone as well as the ability to make your course of study your own.
In Fall 2014, I interned at the Council on Foreign Relations in the David Rockefeller Studies Department.
While there, I worked with Senior Fellow Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill to edit a book on geoeconomics,
preparing for events, and conducting research. During Spring 2015, I served as Secretary of Professionals
in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Affairs (PREEA), an organization hosting for students interested in the region. I currently work as an intern at the Atlantic Councils Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center for
the summer. Next year, I will serve as a Teaching Assistant for Secretary Madeleine K. Albrights courses on
foreign policy.
I am keeping my options open as far as future career plans are concerned. I am still interested in a career in
foreign affairs journalism and am also seriously considering a career at a think tank, in consulting, political
risk management or non-governmental organizations involved in development.