Ludmilla Posner

Professor

“I’m working on a book about differences in Russian and American customs. Believe me, there’s quite a difference.”

Ludmilla Posner doesn’t recommend her alma mater—Odessa State University—to SMC students considering transfer. It’s a first rate school. But it’s also in Russia. And she’s a little worried about her homeland just now. “On the one hand, all the new freedom is wonderful,” she says. “But on the other hand, the stores are empty, there’s nationalistic hatred and people are angry. There’s a lot of tension and it’s dangerous.”

Ludmilla left a lot of family in Russia when she came here 16 years ago. And she feels they would be surprised to find the America that she knows. “I was pleasantly inspired,” she says of her arrival here. “When I was growing up, we heard all the stereotypes of Americans. And I found the people to be completely different. But,” she adds, “when you see a movie here about Russians, that’s equally far from the truth.”

As a part-time teacher—now thoroughly familiar with the capitalistic pleasure known as “freeway flying”—Ludmilla has found new “family” at SMC. “I love teaching, being involved with people,” she says. “I enjoy the classroom and I like being needed.” She teaches both French and Russian and says that, “Russian seems to be a much more difficult language for Americans.” In her spare time she is co-authoring a book on Russian and American customs. “So many people are now travelling and doing business between the two countries,” she says. “So I feel that this is just the perfect moment to explain how different we really are.”

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