Anna Ivanovna Davis, a resident of Westport, Indiana, will receive an Associate of Science in human services at the Commencement ceremony of Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus/Franklin on May 5. She is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average and plans to transfer her degree to the School of Social Work at IUPUI, where she will work toward a bachelor’s degree, focusing on the geriatric population. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in the future.
Anna was born in the Ukraine, growing up in the significant historical center of Sevastopol. She attended Kharkov National University, where she received a Master of Arts in Russian language and literature. After graduation, she worked as a copy editor for a newspaper and as a writer and coeditor for a local Christian radio station. She and her future husband, James, met for the first time on Okinawa in 2005, after having had many conversations over the Internet. (James’ proposal to marry her was romantic, including roses and kneeling.) Anna and James were married in 2006.
Anna’s master’s degree was not helpful to her in America since it gave her expertise in the Russian language and literature, so she began her education all over again. She attended McDowell Education Center, where she learned English as a second language. She studied for a GED in order to improve her English language skills and graduated with honors.
In 2009, she entered Ivy Tech-Columbus/Franklin and began to work toward a degree in human services. She explained her choice of program by saying that she learned about potential jobs through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which convinced her that a career in social work would combine all of her interests—psychology, human relations, and social problems. She is especially interested in the field of gerontology and would enjoy counseling in the areas of life review and grief and loss.
After a break, Anna will enter IUPUI and work toward a career in group counseling. She commented that she and her husband attend the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, where counselors are needed for individuals who come to this country and want to discuss their psychological and emotional needs in their native tongue.
We, at Ivy Tech-Columbus/Franklin, are proud of Anna and wish her the best in her future studies and work.
Rebecca Dobbins has come a long way. She has a story to tell and is not shy about telling it.