Yulia Streltsova shares that “Nina Mason Pulliam was an inspiration to me. After I read her story and learned about the Nina Scholars program, I realized I could dream big about my life in America.” Yulia and her five-year-old son moved to the United States from Russia 10 years ago. A single parent, working full-time in property management, Yulia realized there was no potential for her without a college degree. She was accepted as a Nina Scholar in 2011 and earned an associate degree in science from Paradise Valley Community College before transferring to ASU as a Legacy Passport Scholar. She changed her major from biochemisty to chemical engineering, realizing her strengths were in the scientific field.

She interned in Dallas as an engineer with Texas Instruments, one of the top 10 semiconductor companies worldwide, before returning to ASU and graduating in May 2016. Today, Yulia is a packaging engineer for TI and travels to manufacturers in China, Thailand and Taiwan. She and her 15-year-old son live in Dallas where he looks forward to one day earning a degree in business. “Because of Nina Mason Pulliam, I was able to not only improve our lives but to inspire my son and my friends to believe in education and show that hard work and persistence do pay off.”