Alan Baranov '19

I work as a Financial Engineer at a Fintech company, Moody's Analytics. While this role requires great programming skills, it also requires excellent communicative skills among different Lines of Business as well as with our clients. Studying another language at Dartmouth, as well as taking courses such as Intercultural Communication (RUSS 19), helps me conduct productive business conversations. Additionally, part of my role involves leading a small team as well as demoing / teaching people how to use certain software. Using the skills I honed as a drill instructor for the Russian department, I know the most effective ways of getting my point across. Finally, a good amount of my Programming / IT team is Russian speaking, so it is nice to be able to talk to them from a different angle and feel a familial bond. As with studying any foreign language, it gives you a connection to a myriad of people instantly. I would like to thank the Department of Russian at Dartmouth for not only perfecting another language for me, but also for making me a better person capable of tackling any of life's challenges.