International student gets real life experience as attaché during Universiade

Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade volunteers with the event mascot, U-Laika, await the flame from the heart of Siberia

During the 2019 Winter Universiade, 36 attachés — native Russians who also speak English and are assigned to either a team or an individual member of the FISU family — help ensure that the games run smoothly. Some are from the city of Krasnoyarsk, but others traveled across the country to volunteer.

Their job is to help their assigned team or person navigate the Games and translate when necessary. They travel everywhere with them and get to enjoy the sights and sounds of the game as well.

Some — like 20-year-old Krasnoyarsk native Katya Shulbaeva — study international relations at Siberian Federal University and are using this experience to help them prepare for their future careers.

Q: Why did you decide to volunteer as an attaché?

A: I wanted to practice my English. I know I wanted to meet new people and speak with them and to learn something new by speaking with them. I study international relations and I wanted to learn something new about different states.

Q: Have you ever done this before?

A: Yes, I was an attaché of the hockey team from USA last October at the student hockey challenge so it’s my second time with them.

Q: What’s a usual day like for you during the Universiade?

A: I wake up, then I check my Whatsapp because there are a lot of issues that I should resolve. Then I go to the village, try to find our bus. I meet our team and go to the venue Crystal. Then they have training or the game and I resolve some issues during it, because a lot of problems or questions that they want to ask and they need my help because nobody speaks English there. Then we go to the village and if they don’t have anything to do I go home.

Q: You said there are usually a lot of problems or questions, what are some of the things that come up?

A: For example, when there is a game they need the flashcards where they can record the game. They need special cards to be allowed to go to the special rooms. They have questions about their dorms or laundry or something like that, or maybe they want to go somewhere and they just ask where to go.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being an attaché?

A: I don’t have one, like everything!

Q: As an international relations student, how do you think this experience will help you?

A: I have to learn politics and didn’t know much about it. Now I really like it and maybe I’ll be an ambassador.

By FISU International Young Reporter Danielle Allentuck at the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade