Name: Katya Demurenko ‘04
Majors: Speech & Theatre and English (Literature)
Hometown: Moscow , Russia
Activities: Singing Sinners (female a cappella group), Russian Conversation Table Coordinator, Russian language tutor, library assistant, International House resident, London Program participant, University communications intern.

Katya Demurenko left Moscow to come to St. Lawrence when she was 17. Such a change seemed exciting, but also overwhelming. “It took time to realize how crucial it was to my academic development as well as my personal growth,” she says.

“Although I was involved in theatre before I came to St. Lawrence,” says Katya, “It was the speech and theatre department and the semester in London that showed me the world of theatre in all its beauty. Acting in a foreign language is an extremely challenging undertaking, and I probably wouldn't have continued were it not for several ‘S&T' professors that I was lucky to be guided by. Their support is what made me believe that even the most ambitious goal can be achieved through hard work and determination.”

One passion that Katya has developed while at St. Lawrence is screenwriting. She is conducting an independent study with English professor Sid Sondergard now and is in the middle of writing her second feature-length screenplay.

“St. Lawrence is the place where I have discovered new opportunities and rediscovered myself,” Katya concludes.