« return

Tamara Leonidovna Kozlovskaya
- by Jason Willhite, a RACU Student from America

How can I begin describing such an amazing individual as Tamara Leonidovna Kozlovskaya?

I’ve known her now for three years, and I have gotten to know this outstanding lady on many levels. She has taught me things I could not have learned on my own -- about life in general, and in more specific areas, such as the Russian language. She has been my Russian tutor for two years and my friend for three. Tamara Leonidovna is a single mother of one son, Sasha, who is currently working in the military. She raised him by herself since he was very young, and she worked hard to provide him the things that he needed in life. As a mother, Tamara Leonidovna is a hardworking provider for a son she loves more than herself.

She is just as selfless and hardworking as a teacher and professor. She has a Ph.D. in Linguistics, and her teaching reflects this knowledge time and time again. To describe her teaching style in a few words, she is hard working, strict, and very passionate about the subjects she instructs. She has a gift for language that few possess. I can personally account for this, as I have studied under her and have progressed faster by far than those who have learned Russian in other places. She has a way with words, approaching language as if it is merely a game that only needs to be played a few times to master – a fine quality for any language teacher to possess.

As a person, Tamara Leonidovna is a great philosopher and lover of knowledge. Many times I have gone to her with problems, and she has helped me to resolve them with her support and advice. Other times, even when she did not have all the answers and could not help, she still warmed my heart and lifted my spirits. She brings a light to dark places; her presence brightens a room. She touches my heart with her constant smile and everlasting patience.

There is another side to her character: the strict teacher. While her smile brightens a room, her strength and strictness inspire attention and submission. She is an individual who, despite a soft smile and tender face, commands a classroom like a general commands his troops. She is a master of her art and commands a respect that is deserving of her experience.

In many different spheres and in many different circles, Tamara Leonidovna has touched my heart like few others have before. A lover of literature and the theatre, of nature and science, she is a multifaceted person with much to offer a conversation. She is a well-rounded individual, with soaring desires and incisive opinions. It may seem that I’ve exaggerated on many things, but if everyone got to know Tamara Leonidovna they would write the same. She is a remarkable woman that deserves such praise.