UPDATE: THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED!!! I WAS IN ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN THIS SUMMER, STUDYING RUSSIAN WITH 40 OTHER STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITIES ALL OVER THE US. I GOT TO MEET THE DIRECTOR OF THE BABY HOUSE WHERE I WAS LIVING 20 YEARS AGO! MY MOM FLEW BACK TO CHICAGO ON JUNE 13. I FLEW HOME ON AUGUST 9 AND AM FINISHING MY SENIOR YEAR AT IU :)

My name is Ellen Witwer. In June 2025, I plan to study Russian for two months in Almaty, Kazakhstan, at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University - also called KazNU. This is part of the American Councils Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP).

I was born in Kazakhstan in 2004, and this will be my first time back. My mom plans to travel to Almaty with me before my program starts, so we can spend a few days together and see some places she visited when she adopted me there in 2005.

I am a junior at Indiana University, majoring in International Studies, and I am part of the Russian Flagship program. I expect to receive funding for my summer study in Almaty, but that funding is somewhat uncertain, and it will not cover all my expenses.

Thank you in advance for helping to support this meaningful trip!

Sincerely,

Ellen