Thursday, October 10, 2013

Q&A with an Army Linguist (PIZZA SERVED!)


Drop-in Question/Answer Session with an Army Linguist

Friday, Oct. 11, 2013

Ballantine Hall 565

1:30-3:30

Ryan McMeen, IU alumnus and current Army Linguist will be on hand to discuss his career path and answer questions.

Come at 1:30 for pizza!

Ryan McMeen is a Sergeant in the United States Army.  He graduated from Homestead High School in 2003 and subsequently enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington.  During his time at IU, Ryan studied Russian, German, Czech, and a little Georgian on the side before studying abroad in Olomouc, Czech Republic in 2005; in Freiburg, Germany, 2005-2006; and finally, in St. Petersburg, Russia, 2006-2007.  Ryan received his Bachelor’s with a double major in Slavic Languages and Literatures and Germanic Studies with a Minor in Russian and East European Studies. Afterwards, Ryan waded through a difficult job market, landing opportunities from grocery store cashier to a counselor at a Russian-immersion children?s camp in Bimidji, MN before becoming a Russian teacher for grades 3-5 in Memphis, TN.  After 6 months, Ryan decided he needed something less stressful and enlisted in the Army as a Cryptologic Linguist (35P).  After basic training, Ryan enrolled in the Defense Language Institute where he studied Modern Standard Arabic, and then he studied Pashto at Diplomatic Language Services, returning as a qualified Pashto linguist. Ryan makes regular use of all of his language skills in his job at Fort Gordon supporting forces engaged in the war on terror.  

Sponsored by the Russian and East European Institute.

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