Vadim Rubin, ASIA ’13
(update shared November 2024)
The opportunity to study in Taiwan in the summer of 2012 opened a world of possibilities for me that I had never previously imagined. When I returned to the US and graduated from UMBC in the spring of 2013, I immersed myself in Chinese language and culture. I studied in China during the summer of 2013, which led to a position as an assistant Chinese teacher at a Montessori school in Baltimore, where I worked for two years. To further enhance my Chinese proficiency, I returned to Taiwan in 2015, where I continued to work and study.
During my time in Taiwan, I taught English at various skill levels for two years before receiving a scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Translation and Interpretation at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). My dissertation focused on the misinterpretations of Chinese culture in Western mainstream media. This program significantly improved my Chinese and being able to speak English and Mandarin fluently helped to significantly expand my professional opportunities both in Taiwan and the U.S.
After completing my Master’s, I taught a range of subjects, including SAT and TOEFL prep,
U.S. History, East Asian geography, and literature. Simultaneously, I took on diverse freelance translation and interpretation projects, such as Taiwan government contracts, short story fiction, college campus brochures, and museum exhibitions.
Currently, I work full-time as a translator for Yotta Games in Los Angeles, a video game
company with headquarters in Shanghai. My role involves close collaboration with developers and translators, maintaining constant communication exclusively in Chinese. This position perfectly blends my passion for video games with my expertise in Chinese.
We’ve also featured other alumni in the past – learn about what they’ve been up to on our Past Alumni Updates page!
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