SVETLANA TUTTLE

Svetlana was born in the north of the Russian Federation in the only town on the Polar Circle: Salekhard.  This unique place in Siberia is also well known as a deportation for "politically incorrect" people from all Soviet republics who wanted to change the totalitarian system during the cruel dictator Stalin’s regime, so that is how she became aware of the many cultures in that international and highly diverse community. Since childhood, Svetlana was involved in intercommunication, with a great opportunity to make friends among different nationalities.

She graduated from high school in Salekhard in 1992. . During those years she worked at a local radio station, played at high school basketball team, and was a member of chess and theater clubs.

Svetlana has her BA from Tyumen State U with major in philology (Russian language and literature) and minor in journalism. She was a co-host as a journalist on a local TV station in Tyumen and later worked as a English as a Second Language teacher at secondary school for 3 years. In 2002 Svetlana moved to the U.S. and attended Merced College in central California, where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Svetlana has been planning her career in international relations since high school and today she hopes with her MA from the UC Santa Barbara she can find employment that focuses on making the world a more democratic, creative and secure home for all of us.