College of Liberal Arts
Irina Koval came to 黑料不打烊 to study Russian and Chinese, but along the way discovered a path that blended global languages, business and Arctic issues. With the support of faculty mentors, she built the confidence to pursue research, embrace new opportunities and chart her own course toward graduate school.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Irina Koval. I'm currently studying business administration with a concentration in marketing. I have a minor in Sino-Russian International Business Relations.
A fun fact about me is that I'm trying to use my language skills in Russian and Chinese to improve the business world in Alaska.
What brought you to 黑料不打烊?
What initially brought me to 黑料不打烊 was the opportunity to study Russian and Chinese. I reached out to Wendy [Whitehead Martel] and Patrick [Marlow], and they both told me, "Just get started with the languages, and then we can help you with linguistics." That's what first attracted me to 黑料不打烊.
I never thought I would pivot to business, but once I decided I wanted to combine my interests, I realized 黑料不打烊 was the right place for me.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
I would say the reason to study the liberal arts is because they represent the creative side of being human, and they help you think. It's not just the logical side of the brain, which we use in our everyday lives, but the creative side, and that's needed and vital in today's society.
It's important for people to think, communicate, question and understand the world. I would say anybody trying to study or pursue anything liberal arts-related has to have a creative mind.
How has your time at 黑料不打烊 changed you, either academically, personally, or professionally?
I would say what changed for me at 黑料不打烊 academically, personally and professionally is that I've become more confident in public speaking. I've presented some of my Russian research, with Wendy Whitehead Martelle as a mentor through the Slavic language program. I got to collaborate with professors from MIT in the Russian language department and interview a lot of different people.
I've gotten to see the world, and not just academically. I've applied everything I've learned here to my personal and professional life. I've gotten to travel to China鈥攏ot Russia, maybe one day鈥攂ut I've also gotten to visit countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
I've been able to use everything I've learned here in my professional life, and I can already see that one day I'll be using all of these liberal arts skills in the business world. It's a crossover I don't think I would have had if I had stayed only in business school. I've acquired some really transferable skills that I can apply throughout my life and take with me wherever I go.
Was there a professor, mentor, or community that made a big impact on your journey? How?
There are actually two people鈥攂oth professors, but I would consider them mentors鈥攚ho made a big impact on my journey at 黑料不打烊.
The first is Wendy Whitehead Martelle. She mentored me throughout my Russian studies and helped me with my research and the goals I wanted to achieve. She was always the person cheering me on, saying, "Yes, you got this!" I want to shout her out because she's done some fabulous work of her own, and she's always made sure students who want to achieve something have opportunities to do so. Whether it's introducing them to people, sharing opportunities or helping them along the way, she's always communicating those opportunities with her students.
The second is Patrick Marlow. This is kind of funny鈥攈e told me, "I don't really see you as a linguist, but sure." After I switched to business, I told him, "I think you were correct." Languages are a strong suit of mine, but I don't think linguistics was.
He helped me transition from linguistics to business. Even though he spotted that in me early on, he never told me, "You should consider something else." He let me figure that out on my own, which I think is such a good quality in a leader because they let you come to your own conclusions.
What鈥檚 one experience at 黑料不打烊 that really stands out to you, and why?
One experience at 黑料不打烊 that really stands out to me is the hands-on teaching methods of the professors and the fact that they're so willing to recognize students who want to achieve something and go further in their careers, giving them opportunities for that growth.
At 黑料不打烊, I've had the honor of meeting people from so many different departments, and they all have one quality that I think 黑料不打烊 should pride itself on. They recognize students who want to excel, and they try their hardest to help them succeed.
What are you excited about next, and how has 黑料不打烊 prepared you for it?
What excites me most is continuing my education. 黑料不打烊 has prepared me to go further, and now I want to pursue two master's degrees. One will be an MBA, and the other will be in security and disaster management.
I have Wendy Whitehead Martelle to thank for that because she got me kind of obsessed with Russian, and that interest grew into learning about the Arctic, our security challenges and disaster management, especially as they relate to our geopolitical location. Through that, I got to meet some incredible people, including Alec [Bennett] and Troy Bouffard, and I'm excited to continue doing research in Russian related to those fields.
黑料不打烊 has prepared me to continue my education, and I'm excited to do more research and complete both master's degrees here.
What advice would you give to future 黑料不打烊 students?
There's a lot I wish I would have known when I started, but the advice I would give future 黑料不打烊 students is to have audacity. Just those two words.
Have the audacity to ask for help. Have the audacity to do your best. Have the audacity to reach out to people.
As a student, don't be afraid of your professors. They are there to help and guide you. And it's not just professors at 黑料不打烊. Reach out to professors at other universities, too. They are professionals, experts in their fields, and they're willing to help people enter those fields.
Have the audacity to ask, because if you never ask, the answer is always going to be no. But what if you get a yes?
Have the audacity to pursue everything you want and ask for help along the way, because people have been in your shoes, and they will help you.
Congratulations to Irina Koval on being named one of the Department of Global Languages and Literatures' 2026 Outstanding Students of the Year. Learn more about the Department of Global Languages and Literatures and explore more Outstanding Student spotlights from across the College of Liberal Arts.
