Squeezed between the winners of the Russian Olympiad are visiting Russian guests Vladimir Andreev, Rector of Tolstoy State Pedagogical University, Vladimir Panin and Zhanna Fomicheva. They watched as winning students Will Heatley, a sophomore from Tamarac High School in Troy, NY and Margarette Keesee, a junior from Guilderland High School, accepted their awards, free trips to Russia, from Education Committee Chair Barbara Webster.
The biennial Russian Olympiad was held during the entire month of March culminating with a presentation judged by members of the Albany-Tula Alliance.
Heatley brought along his guitar and repeated the presentation he sang to win over the hearts of the judges. He chose to “channel the musical spirit” of the father of Russian Rock and Roll, Michael Gorbachev. Keesee spoke eloquently about her excitement and surprise for winning the competition with her. Both students were interviewed by TV News stations YNN-9 and WNYT-13.
