Russian Language Student Secures Internship with Intelligence Agency

Annabel Husak, a double major in Russian and international studies, is working toward a career in national defense, boosted by her passion for a language that — in some ways — fell into her lap.

"Honestly, [choosing Russian] pretty much just happened because we have to take a language here at DU, and I just kind of randomly picked Russian because I had always been interested in the defense and intelligence field," Husak said. "Russian is always valuable for that."

For that potential career in the defense field, she hopes her international studies will add to her Russian skills in leading her to success.

"With this type of career field, I'm thinking that [the two subjects] will [combine] just because there's a lot of overlap with governmental stuff like diplomacy.... Russian plays a huge part in a lot of things these days," she said.

Her internship this summer in the daunting field of national security, which she couldn't disclose much about even if she knew, will run for 10 weeks with one of the national intelligence agencies in Washington, D.C. She originally applied in September 2018, and had to wait until the spring to receive an offer.

That waiting may pay off, as the internship has the potential to continue once she returns to school in Denver. She says it's designed to channel into a career after college.

Before beginning that career, Husak is considering DU's dual BA/MA program through the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, in which she would graduate with both a bachelor's and master's degree in a five-year period.

When she thinks about her DU career so far, Husak is especially thankful for her Russian professors, who have helped develop her passion for the language.

"I think the faculty plays a huge role in [what I'm thankful for], just because there is no professor I've had that hasn't been just above-and-beyond in what they're teaching," Husak said.

Wherever her career takes her, Husak will be grateful for the overall opportunities and help that DU has offered along her journey.

"I think DU provides a ton of support for their students just because... if you need help in anything, whether it's emotional support or academic support and things like that," Husak said, "DU provides a lot of that for their students."