Special Guest Author – Kseniia Maksimova

Fulbright Scholar Currently Studying at St. Cloud State University in the Rhetoric and Writing Graduate Studies Program

Kseniia is a second-year graduate student in the Rhetoric and Writing program at St. Cloud State University. She has been a tutor in the Write Place since her second semester in the university.

From early childhood, Kseniia has been hunting for thoughtful, inspirational stories that leave an imprint on a reader’s soul. Following a dream to publish her own story, she applied for a Fulbright scholarship that later brought her from Russia to the U.S. and gave her an opportunity to study Rhetoric and Writing.

Kseniia graduated from Kazan Federal University where she earned her B.A. in teaching Russian and English. Working as a journalist at the KFU student board, she contributed to the development of student media as she wrote articles for the university website and provided the informational support of the institute’s events. Besides, Kseniia presented her research on political correctness at scientific conferences. Some of her works were published in the KFU collection of scientific articles. A few years later, her fiction piece “Speech!” was published in Kaleidoscope, the SCSU Multicultural Literary Arts Magazine.

Inspired by the experience of working at the Write Place, Kseniia is planning to become a writing coach in one of the centers of academic writing in Russia, once she returns to her home country. She believes she can make a great contribution to the development of writing centers by sharing her experience of being a tutor in the U.S. In addition, Kseniia is continuing to move toward her dream to become a non-fiction writer and she is constantly working on polishing her writing skills.

Excited about traveling and learning about American culture, Kseniia hopes to continue to explore different states while living in the U.S. One of her hobbies that aligns with traveling is post-crossing (exchanging postcards and letters with people from all around the world) which, she believes, helps people to stay connected and learn more about each other. Apart from this, Kseniia likes reading, making various handicrafts, learning French, and hiking.