Alessia Kosmina has been teaching Russian and Ukrainian at ICA Language Services since October 2023. With a master’s degree in teaching foreign languages and a background in business journalism in Ukraine, she brings language expertise and cultural knowledge into the classroom.

For Alessia, teaching languages felt like a natural career path. What she enjoys most is seeing how much her students accomplish over time. She finds it especially rewarding when students are able to discuss complex topics, such as quantum technologies, economic development, and international relations, in a language that was completely new to them just months earlier.

Her work at ICA was recognized this year when she and one of her colleagues received the Team-Teaching Excellence Award. The award celebrates the partnership they built in the classroom and their shared commitment to helping students reach their language goals.

Alessia also enjoys introducing students to the connections between language and culture. She often shares the etymology of Russian and Ukrainian words to explain cultural nuances and differences between related languages.

Fun fact: Before joining ICA, Alessia was the editor-in-chief of a legal magazine and co-founded a public relations agency in Ukraine.