Meet Stella Webster, ’25

Stella Webster is graduating this year with a M.A. in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. She studied the Russian language and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian area studies with the support of the FLAS fellowship.

What can you tell us about your background and academic interests?

I was a history major as an undergraduate whose long-standing interest in Russian and Eastern European literature and history fueled my desire to study Russian history at the graduate level. At present, I am most interested in exploring the intellectual and religious history of late imperial and Soviet Russia, though I also have a fondness for Russian literature (especially poetry) and the intellectual history of late medieval and Renaissance Europe.

What was your major/minor/degree program(s) and area of study/focus? Why did you choose it?

I studied in the Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies master’s program at Stanford. I chose it as a good stepping stone to future Ph.D. studies in history with a focus on modern Russian and European history.

What has been your favorite class at Stanford and why?

My favorite class at Stanford was probably the class on the literature of Yugoslavia I took in the fall of 2024. I enjoyed it because of the many and varied works we read our always-rousing class discussions and for the opportunity the class gave me to learn more about a region of Europe I had been unfamiliar with before coming to Stanford.

What kind of research course projects or co-curricular activities did you participate in during your time at Stanford?

I participated in one major research project while at Stanford: my capstone thesis research on Anna Abrikosova a prominent Russian Catholic woman of the early 20th century which I completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for my master’s degree.

Tell us your favorite major/minor/program-related story or experience! Any adventures abroad or fascinating guest lectures?

My favorite experiences during my time in this program were either my research trip to Rome funded by SGS or the enjoyable potlucks I and my cohort-mates organized among ourselves.

Why did you apply for the FLAS fellowship?

I applied for the FLAS fellowship in hopes of thereby funding my graduate education, since I would not have been able to afford it otherwise.

What languages and world regions have you studied with the support of the FLAS fellowship? What impact has FLAS had on your studies? 

I studied the Russian language and the regions of Russia Eastern Europe and Eurasia. FLAS has had a huge and positive impact on my studies particularly since without FLAS funding I would not have been able to pursue a master’s degree at Stanford at all.

How do language and cultural skills apply to your academic and career paths?

Russian language and Russian, East European, and Eurasian area studies directly pertain to my future academic endeavors as a Ph.D. student in History at Georgetown University, where I hope to focus on the intellectual history of late imperial and early Soviet Russia.

As you reflect on your time at Stanford what are you most proud of?

I am most proud of finishing my M.A. capstone thesis.

How has your degree program changed your understanding of the world and prepared you for your next steps?

My degree program has broadened my knowledge of the regions I studied and allowed me to improve my Russian language skills both of which I will be able to use as a History Ph.D. student this fall.