Integrated Marketing Communications major, Artem Khaybullin, is a trilingual student at Ithaca College. He plays on the varsity tennis team for the college as well. He was born in Russia but moved to Ecuador in 2002 when his father got a job offer there that he could not refuse. Artem came to the United States for college because he felt that Russia’s educational system after high school was underdeveloped.
Artem traveled to the United States alone. He chose Ithaca College, specifically for the IMC major, and to be on the varsity tennis team.
Artem said: “I believe the IMC major was a complete major offering both sides, business and marketing. And I’m glad I get to study what I enjoy.”
The cultural background of Artem and his ability to read, write and speak three languages fluently have helped him greatly. It allows him to communicate with the majority of students and professors in English, build more connections, expand his group of friends and bring an intercultural perspective from different parts of the world.
Being naturally friendly is far from being a problem for Artem. He has made many friends since he began attending IC. However, he feels that one of the most important skills he has learned from the IMC major is how to handle group work and collaborations with other students. Artem has learned the importance of showing his empathy toward his groupmates and collaborators.
His favorite part of the IMC program is the flexibility of courses he can take. Artem enjoys the variety of courses and how he can balance business with communications.
Artem had an internship at Easy Event Planning LLC at the beginning of the pandemic. Currently, he is working remotely for a long-term care organization called Senior Group. After college, he plans to gain work experience and possibly continue his education at a top school in the United States or Canada to get his MBA.
“My biggest accomplishment has been getting good grades since the first day of college and pushing myself every day, even though I am alone here with no one to tell me what to do. I feel that this experience is helping me shape myself in preparation for real life after college.”
Both of Artem’s parents were born and raised in Russia. Since moving to Ecuador, they travel to Russia every year. This has allowed him to get more in touch with his Russian roots. He really enjoys reconnecting with his culture and being able to speak Russian to everybody. In addition, Artem and his parents still celebrate certain Russian traditions and holidays, such as the Russian New Year.
“I believe that the biggest difference between living in the United States and Ecuador is the number of rules,” said Artem. “I find that the U.S. has far more rules as compared with Ecuador. However, I appreciate how organized and certain things are in the U.S. Another aspect of the U.S. that I love is online shopping because it is not a service offered in Ecuador.”