Academic Centre
“This program is the biggest challenge I have ever taken, partially because I came to USA during very difficult times. I lived right next to the razor wired walls and a military on standby all in COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the external circumstances, I decided that all my attention would be focused on the learning process to show myself the best. Receiving the Excellence Award as a recognition for the outstanding performance in the classrooms and beyond only strengthened my believe that hard work and a kind heart are the sole determinants of success. And I hope that I will be able to share my experiences and knowledge with my alma mater University of Latvia and beyond,” emphasizes Emīlija Linda Mendelsone.
The student admits that four months in the United States have allowed her to re-understand the true value of economic and political freedom, and most importantly, the power of compromise. “I took my chance to expand my limits of understanding the very complex issues of political landscapes all around the world and came to a conclusion that the only right thing is to be open-minded and to strive to understand all the involved parties,” acknowledges Emīlija.
Emīlija spent 4 months in the United States capital taking academic courses from the George Mason University and Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. She was also a full-time intern at the Baltic advocacy group for the U.S. Congress - The Joint Baltic American National Committee.
During her stay, she took classes and participated in extracurricular activities with the real-world practitioners who worked for the CIA, Congressional Offices, White House and former and current US Congress representatives, and many other notable professionals.
Emīlija Linda Mendelsone was a George Viksnins Scholar (scholarship named in honor of the former Georgetown professor George Viksnins) for the spring semester of 2021. This was a prestigious program facilitated by the Fund for American Studies (TFAS), that was framed to teach free market economics, civic discourse and presidential leadership.
