Waking up halfway around the world from home could be a frightening experience, but this is exactly the position one Ohio State graduate student is in.

Her name is Ewa Bakun. She is enrolled in OSU’s Italian graduate program and teaches Italian 103 this quarter.

“Once I came here, I went directly to the university,” Bakun said. “I had already been accepted. That was the reason that I came to the U.S.”

Bakun has been here nine months and has one more year before she receives her master’s degree in Italian from OSU.

“At first, I wasn’t sure about this class, but now I understand it better,” said Jeremy Culleton, an undecided junior in Bakun’s class.

Bakun arrived in Columbus in August. Before that, she lived in Warsaw, Poland, and worked at the Italian consulate there.

At the consulate, she assisted the consul general with various tasks and helped Poles and Italians with concerns about visas and passports. She also worked as a translator on various projects.

Growing up in Poland, Bakun led what might be considered a normal life. Her family – mother, father and two brothers – moved frequently, and she was a shy child.

Bakun said it was not until she moved to Warsaw after high school that she was able to open up to people. She was 18 when she enrolled at the University of Warsaw, where she received the Polish equivalent of an American master’s degree in Italian.

Poland is a country about the size of New Mexico and has a population of about 38.7 million. Warsaw alone has a population of 1.6 million.

Bakun said there was no culture shock when she came here. This is the second time she has lived in the United States.

She was in upstate New York for three months as part of a work-travel program through the University of Warsaw. She worked at a small inn and lived with an American family.

She said the mannerisms of people in both countries are similar. The only difference she noted between the two cultures was that, unlike most Polish cities, most American cities do not have a historical section.

Bakun admitted to not being familiar with Columbus or other areas of the United States. This summer she plans to travel around the United States with her family and also plans to visit friends in Mexico.

Bakun began to learn English when she was 8 years old, but didn’t put a lot of effort into learning it until she was about 17.

“In Europe, English is a very popular language,” Bakun said. “It’s almost like an international language now; it’s essential.”

She began learning Italian in 1996 while at the University of Warsaw. She has never lived in Italy, but she has stayed there a few times, a total of about six months.

Along with Italian, Bakun is learning French. She also knows a fourth language: Ukrainian. She has grandparents from Ukraine. Bakun said she is not fluent, but can understand the “Polandized” version her grandparents speak.

Bakun said OSU has been a good experience for her.

“We’re pretty close,” said Maria Falasca, a graduate student in the Italian department. “She’s pretty fun.”

Bakun disagrees.

“My social life is not very diversified because I am always here,” Bakun said.

She is not sure what she wants to do with her future. Bakun said she will stay here for now, but she is sure she will go back to Poland soon.

In Poland, unemployment is high, and it is hard to find a job.

Bakun is not yet certain about what type of job she will end up with. She said this is a good experience and is glad she was able to come OSU.