How did you come here? Did you always want to come to America?
Rhonda
No. It’s a long story.
When I was seven, my father managed to get me into School #5, although technically I was supposed to go to School #2. But School #5 was much better, with a focus on math, and my father wanted me to be a mathematician. By the time I hit high school, it was clear that mathematical specialization wasn’t for me.
Student academic competitions are very big in Russia, as big as the high school football is in Texas. The school had a high profile and I consistently placed in top three in municipal student Olympiads in biology, chemistry, geography, history, etc. Curiously, I was disqualified from a literature Olympiad, because they were sure I plagiarized my short story. They didn’t know where from and they couldn’t prove it, but they were sure that a 14 year old couldn’t have written it. I thought my poor teacher would have an aneurysm on the spot. She had watched me write it. I kind of didn’t care about it, because as my father frequently explained to me, “Писанина никогда тебя не покормит,” which translates to “Scribbling will never feed you.” He claims to not remember this.
It got so bad that when a competition was coming, they would just stick me in there without even asking. But when I went to a math Olympiad, I drew a blank. There were about 7 or 8 problems and I solved none. Zero. When the teacher in charge of it was discussing results, he said, “Some of your solved everything and some of you solved none.” And then he looked at me. I was so scarred by the experience, I still remember his face as he said it. 🙂
My mother quickly realized that I was hitting diminishing returns. She would watch me study and study and study, and the best I could manage in math was a B. The school had just implemented a new class specialization with a focus in Biology and I said I wanted to transfer. My mom was all for it. My father pitched a huge fit. Words like “Over my dead body” were said. Curiously, he doesn’t remember this either. Mom eventually wore him down and I transferred. It was so easy, I can’t even explain it. I breezed through my classes.
At that point, somehow the teacher in charge of biology program became connected with Western Carolina University Chemistry department. She was tall, statuesque, long hair, attractive, spoke English well, and so WCU decided to sponsor a group of five students and five teachers to come to US and visit them during their special summer camp for young scientists, or something like that. Sorry, it was long ago, and my English wasn’t good back then. Basically, they marched high school kids into the mountains, showed them dried up pine trees, and talked about acid rain and effects of pollution.
So there came a time to select the students for the trip. The first student was the son of the biology teacher’s friend. He spoke English well and was a spoiled kid. The second, and his name was Herman, and I don’t know why I remember that, was the son of the warehouse supervisor who sponsored the trip. The third was a good looking blond kid who was good at sports. I don’t even remember the fourth one. But basically when they got down to the final spot, they realized that they needed a girl and someone who would actually answer if a scientific question was asked. I fit the bill.
They asked me if I would go. I said yes. I came home and told my mom about it, and she laughed for like 5 minutes. When she was finally able to talk, she said, “Honey, people like us don’t go abroad.”
In two weeks I brought home the visa application and a packet of forms. My parents finally realized it was for real and promptly panicked. My dad ran all over town and flew to Moscow to get me a passport and a visa. Mom frantically tried to scrape together some money to buy валюта, foreign currency because they couldn’t send me there with nothing. Things were sold. Decent clothes that wouldn’t embarrass the family were purchased. I had never had so much attention lavished on me by my parents in my entire life.
Finally I joined the student group and we flew to US. We went to Washington, walked around, almost saw President Bush Senior, who at the last moment decided he was too busy and informed our teachers that he had to spend his time serving Americans rather than meeting Russians. That was a quote. 🙂 Finally we flew to NC. As we were driving around in a van, we ended up stopping at a private school in Georgia, Rabun Gap Nacoochee, where a former student of the WCU’s Chemistry Department head worked as a chemistry teacher.
We toured the lab building and I got really sad. It was so depressing. They had tables. They had Bunsen burners, and sinks, and real laboratory equipment, and chemicals. The only reaction we have done in Russian school was mixing CuSO4 + BaCl2 → BaSO4 + CuCl2
It forms a white precipitate. ::waves a little flag:: Wooo. So Mr. Mallot, who was the chemistry teacher, came up and asked me why I was sad. I tried to explain it to him in my broken English and then I pulled out a notebook I took with me, because I had expected chemical questions, and showed him all the theoretical equations for the reactions and told him I had no idea what any of those compounds looked like.
We left the school, and then a few days later, they sent over a full scholarship packet with my name on it. I won’t bore you with the description of the freak out that followed with my family. I only had a year to go in Russian high school. What if I went to US for a year and then had to come back and I would have to redo a year? What if I got pregnant? What if I got shot, because people randomly shoot each other in America? What if, what if?
Long story short, I ended up coming for a year, then the school gave me another scholarship fro the next year, but by that point they ran out of classes to give me. Through a complicated series of events Duke offered me a very good scholarship, not quite a full ride, but close. But WCU offered me a full ride and adults in my life talked me into going to WCU instead, because it was a smaller school and I wouldn’t fall through the cracks. I started in January of my senior year and met Gordon in the English class. Things took a sharp turn at the end of that semester, but that’s a story for another time.
And that’s how I came to America.
Thank you for writing this! Best story ever and sooo happy that you are here!
Hi ,I am so HAPPY to have read your story of how you came about ,to be herein America! Such an awesome story Thanks so much! Gave me a very happy day! ????
Wow!!! Thank you for sharing.
So you met Gordon in the states? I was under the impression you met in Russia. Any chance we could hear that story? ????
Another example of us being better for fate sending you here… And your parents Grace in sharing you with the world. May your and Gordon’s stories fill the world and may your lives be filled with light and laughter. Thank you for sharing.
Ok, so what was “the sharp turn”? And how did you get to know Gordon? Did you have any problems with your visa? How in the world did you figure out the process of team writing that you have today. You got a better grade in a language related class than Gordon. Is that what started up the acquaintance? (Sooo many burning questions ????! )
Brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing… And I enjoyed the way you shared.
More please…
+1 especially the part about not knowing what any of the chemical compounds actually looked like….
That was a wonderful story and I’m glad it happened! Thank you for sharing!
very interesting thanks
Barium sulfate & copper chloride, awwwwww. Wow you are so young & skinny! ( Heh, I remember being young & that skinny too!…that was many dress sizes ago)
Go you! What with all the scholarship offers that you reached out & grabbed! Dude, you are only that young once, and that is the perfect time to grab those big chances!
But also completely sympathize with your parents ‘cuz of course, anything could happen, which of course, the young & feckless never believe could happen to them.
Ok, but ya hadda know next we would want the “how did you meet that man, anyway” story, next….if he’s ok with that, oc course.
Awh! I had often wondered. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for telling this story!!!
It is so kind of you to share your personal stories with us – thank you!
Thank you for sharing. Such an interesting life!
…and I’m really angry for 14 year old you. Plagiarism! As if!
As so many of the BDH have said, thank you for being gracious enough to answer such questions and share such personal information. You are a remarkable person, with many talents. It is the great fortune of the US that you did come here, and that you are still here!
I hope your father realizes how much joy your “scribbles” have brought to so many people. He probably does, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. ???? My dad doesn’t ever want to acknowledge any accomplishment of mine because he doesn’t want to give me a “swelled head”. It sounds like your dad might have been raised with the same school of thought.
I hope that you and Gordon continue to enrich the BDH, and your other readers too of course, for many years to come. And, if you felt like sharing the story of what happened next, why that jewel would be received just as joyfully as this one. I have to admit that I am greedy and curious to know “the rest of the story” !! I am greedy to read anything you write, and you do have a very interesting background and history. I had an unexceptional upbringing, with no particularly interesting events to regale anyone with. Somehow I believe that you with your extraordinary talent would find a way to make a story about my upbringing interesting. Your background is interesting though, and coupled with your talent, makes for fascinating reading.
Thank you for being so accessible to your fans. It is very gracious of you and Gordon, and I hope that everyone appreciates that. Good luck with the edits, may they flow quickly and easily.
Beautiful you
Beautifully said
Thanks for the share
Would truly love more of the same please..
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Thank you for the story. I completely understand being sad because they had real lab equipment and your school didn´t. As a teenager, I felt something very close when I went to visit better schools than mine, even in my own country. When I went to Europe as an adult, coming from a third world country, to spend one month in a hospital for my medical residency I felt the same sadness, again, but much worse because I wanted good medicine for my patients and a good hospital structure, and not have to have kids sleep with pain in a corridor waiting for a bed. In the end, it was the push I needed to change countries, and I thank all gods every day that we came, despite all the problems.
Oh! Rabun Gap Nacoochee is situated in such a beautiful place. I hope it was a good school for you. We live about an hour south. Loved reading your story.
Love your story! Love your irascible father! You could write a biography that I would read, including both of you, actually. “How We Got Here” or something like, although I realize the story is a work still in progress.
I think you should write your autobiography as a novel.
Wow – I’m speechless. What an amazing story! I now understand why there are all of the chemical reaction references in your stories. You are incredible!
What a great story. Just love it. Love your notebook with the theoretical reactions. I was a biology major. Left it all for a time, now am back in the lab. And I love all the twists and turns.
As always, you are a wonderful storyteller! I would love to read about the “sharp turn” one day. We are lucky you decided to stay!
Yes, because as much as it is difficult for me to read their books in english, it would be quite impossible in russian !! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this story with us !!
Your daughters just look like you at the same age !!
And to think I almost recommended looking into Western NC on your ‘looking to move’ blog. You know all about this area!
I’m in Franklin, NC. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the area, Franklin is on the way between Rabun Gap, GA and Cullowee, NC (where WCU is).
Ruby Theater. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your most excellent story! Do you still have the story in question that was disqualified? It would be amazing to read it one day.
Thank you . You are an inspiration . Life can take strange turns, and I hope you will share more of your alls earlier life with the BDH.
Totally unrelated but I would like to recommend a 5 book series to the BDH. The 1st book is INVASION:Book one of the Secret World Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey, Steve Libby, Cody Martin and Dennis Lee.
My husband recommended the series to me and told me that I would like them and he was correct. Usually a book unfolds in my head like a movie, this book unfolded more like a comic book to me. It was not like anything I usually read.
Thank you for the insight into your school and family when you were a very intelligent kid and your very normal family. It was delightful.
Why did that feel like a snippet to the most awesome book? Thank you so much for sharing with us.
This is so beautiful- thank you for sharing your story (and beautiful photo) ????
What a great story! Thank you for sharing a piece of your history with us!
Kudos to Mr. Mallot who obviously cared and made things happen. We are all greatfull
I love this story!!! I still think you are one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. I’m sure you glossed over many of the difficulties, but I’m so glad you’re here.
Not much else to say. Just Wow!!!
That was awesome! You and Gordon have been my favorite authors for such a long time! You are so brave! Reading all of your books and blogs have kept me going! Thank you so much!