An international relations major and Slavic studies and music double minor, Valentina joined the Peace and Conflict Pathway to hone in on the aspects of international relations she found most compelling: mediation, peace-building and conflict resolution. 

“My interest in my Symposium topic—music’s ability to be an outlet of resistance throughout various time periods in modern Russia—technically dates back to my freshman year when I learned about Shostakovich’s wartime symphonies in a music history class,” she said. 

Learning about the dynamics of nationalism and ethnic conflict in Europe, especially within the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, helped her further synthesize academic interests. 

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area of California, Valentina studied abroad at the Freie Universität Berlin, where she took intensive German language lessons and studied international relations and economics. She then interned at Berlin’s Hertie School Centre for International Security, where she published security briefs and helped write literature reviews and research papers on nuclear weapons and security. On campus, Valentina is a member of the varsity volleyball team and a pianist and violinist in the Music Department. She has also worked as a Chinese language tutor and a music theory tutor, served as a member of the Music Student Advisory Board, and is co-chair of the Government and International Relations Student Advisory Board. 

After graduation, Valentina plans to work for a Washington, D.C.-based NGO focused on peace building or foreign policy and relations before pursuing a master’s degree in either peace studies or international studies at a German university. 

At the Symposium, she is looking forward to sharing her findings with the campus community. 

“My hope is the audience learns that resistance has a long and vibrant history in Russia, that fine arts are integral to Russian identity, and that it is possible to reignite this resistance in the country again,” she said. “Most importantly, I want the audience to leave the Symposium feeling that the West should not give up on the Russian people. In authoritarian countries, it is always incredibly imperative to invest in its citizens.”