Olwen Blessing is a REECA master's student from rural Nash County, North Carolina. Olwen graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020, where she double majored in political science and Russian language and culture. At UNC, she received the Paul Debreczeny Prize in Slavic Languages and Literatures. Prior to her studies at Harvard, Olwen served as enrolling clerk for the state of North Carolina. In this role, she coordinated the ratification of all legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and the delivery of ratified legislation to the governor for signature. At Harvard, her research focuses on the changing use of the term “democracy” as a political concept in Russian foreign and national security policy.
Last updated September 2026.