My last day

By:

Harrison LeFrois

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I leave for the airport in less than 12 hours. It will be boring these last few hours as I’m one of the last to depart, but I’m glad I was able to see most of the others off. Transition times like this always leave me with a strange feeling.

This has been the single best semester of my undergraduate career. I’ve learned a crazy amount of math, my Russian has improved, I’ve been to places I never even dreamed of going to. This has also been the most fun semester I have had, which is something I think has been lacking since I’ve returned to school after Teen Challenge. Thankfully, finals worked out wonderfully, so the semester was a success on all accounts. The people I’ve met here in Moscow, both the participants of the program and the people that live here, are truly amazing. I’ve loved watching how such smart people study and think about math and I have learned a tremendous amount from them, both math and life lessons. Most of the Russian people I’ve met approach their interests and work with such intensity and dedication. They have been a great example to me of what can be accomplished by not giving up and giving 100% all the time.

These past few days have been spent hanging out as much as possible with people from the program. I’m going to really miss them. We went to see the Nutcracker at the Bolshoi Theater a few days ago. This performance was incredible! Music was great, dancers were very impressive. I’ve realized I’m quite spoiled now. I’ve never been anywhere to see a ballet or anything, and after this everything will ultimately be compared to performances at the Bolshoi. Oh well.

On Sunday, Josh and I took Ryan to Beardy’s restaurant after church. This is my favorite restaurant in all of Moscow. The best borsch, delicious pastries, blini, just an all around great place. Today, Ryan and I went to meet Arina, a friend from the Bolshoi, for coffee at our favorite coffee place Double B. I have never had such a good cappuccino. Other than that, just packing and getting ready for departure. Speaking of which, I need to finish packing away everything then maybe take a nap before my flight.

Harrison LeFrois

Hi! My name is Harrison LeFrois and I am a senior mathematics major and nontraditional student at the University of Nebraska Omaha. After graduating from high school, my life had little director or purpose. Eventually I took some college courses because that was what was expected of me, however, I drifted away from school and dropped out after two uninspiring years. I was one of the nameless, faceless, rabble going from one low paying job to another. At the age of 26 I discovered my talent for math and returned to school with a fervent passion to finish my degree. Despite all the hardships attending college as a nontraditional student, my life experiences and maturity have helped me make the most of every opportunity that has come my way. Studying abroad is an experience I never even considered until this past semester because I did not think it would be financially feasible. At the prompting and encouragement of my professors, I looked into study abroad programs and decided to go to Russia because I had taken Russian language classes before and dreamed of experiencing Russian culture firsthand. Miraculously, I was accepted into the Math in Moscow (MiM) program in Moscow, Russia for the Fall 2014 semester. The intense mathematical environment at MiM will prepare me for graduate school where I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics. I love math and the Russian language and this will be a wonderful opportunity to learn advanced mathematics and continue my progress towards fluency in Russian. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to learn and to serve.