Watch: Click on the above image to see the interview.
Irina’s Biography
“My name is Irina Safonov. I was born in the center of Russia, south of the Ural Mountains that divide Europe and Asia. When I was one year old, my family moved to the very east of Russia, the Sakha Republic, which is closer to Alaska than Moscow. I graduated high school there. Then I moved to St. Petersburg, where I studied civil engineering for almost six years. My family came to the United States at the end of 1996. I studied computer programming for nine months and got a computer programmer job in 1998. During that time, I met my husband and got married in 1999. I have three kids. When I had my second child, I realized I would like to be more involved in my kids’ growth and development, I wanted to spend more time with them. So I decided to quit my job. Since my native language is Russian, I was teaching it to my kids. In 2009, I got involved teaching Russian at the Educational Center. In 2015, I organized a Russian Immersion day camp, and in 2019, I together with two bright and energetic ladies founded Russian Camp MN. Since then, Russian Camp MN had more than 20 overnight and day sessions. I feel I am a happy person as besides my beloved husband and kids I have an exciting job which gives me joy, challenge, and satisfaction. I am very grateful to this country that gave me the opportunities and supported me in reaching my goals and making my dreams come true.”
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