Professors Are People Too: Dr. Olga Moseley
When Dr. Olga Moseley was twenty, she moved to America from Russia to further her education. While in Russia, she earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics with a major in English and a minor in Spanish. After moving to the United States, she received her B.S. in business administration from Elizabeth City State University and now commutes every week from North Carolina to serve as an instructor in the Business, Leadership and Management department at Regent University.
What inspired you to become a professor?
“I knew teaching was my calling in middle school. Of course, I was in Russia back then, so what and where I taught changed dramatically over the course of my life.” She explained that no single event pushed her towards education, but while working as a store manager in America, she witnessed the value of marketing. “I started noticing how much power communication has and how much it can impact your sales outcomes and how much that personal relationship with the customer can really boost the loyalty and perception about the brand and the company.” She learned more about marketing and was then drawn to share with students “all these amazing things.”
What was most striking about moving to America?
Rather than focusing on the differences, Dr. Moseley noted that one of the most interesting things to her was recognizing similarities between the countries. Despite many of the stereotypes in social media posts and movies proclaiming that everyone is different, she recognized that people share many of the same ups and downs. “Everyone around the globe wants happy, stable, peaceful lives and healthy families, which makes sense because we are created by the same Creator.” She remarked that returning to Russia was a culture shock: “Russian culture is a lot more closed off regarding everyday interactions.” She explained that strangers remain reserved, so it is not common to see smiling faces during everyday activities like shopping.
What’s your favorite thing about NC?
“Living near the water,” Dr. Moseley replied immediately. She shared that during a family trip to the Black Sea as a child, she unlocked an appreciation for “the beauty of the sea, the waves and water that never ends.” After a laugh, she remarked that God has a sense of humor because her prayer to live by water came true, but she did not count on it “being on the other side of the planet.” Naturally, her favorite part of living in Currituck, NC, is that the Outer Banks are only fifteen minutes away. On the beach, she enjoys quiet time with God during the sunrise with coffee in hand and ears open to hear the beauty of his majesty as the world wakes up. “It’s my happy place. That’s where I feel God the most, and if you go there during the off-season, you’re the only person there to experience that intimate moment” with the Creator.
What made you choose to work at Regent instead of a closer University?
“I remember feeling the Holy Spirit as soon as I walked into Robertson Hall and thinking to myself, I want this feeling every day.” She discussed a love for the freedom faculty have to pray for each other and even “pause a lecture to discuss some Christian implications [in the material]. I think that’s how you promote holistic development because most universities focus on developing their students’ professional side, but we don’t just need more good marketers. We need more individuals with strong values and strong moral compasses who are good at marketing.” She appreciates the balance Regent maintains regarding “the spiritual, emotional, professional and intellectual” side to education.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
“When I started my Ph.D. program, I had a really good friend from Vietnam who was most likely the smartest person in our cohort.” Despite knowing all the correct answers, Dr. Moseley shared that her friend never wished to receive credit and stand out in class. Instead, they said, “I don’t want to be better than anyone. I want everyone to be the same and everyone to be good.” This idea is something that Dr. Moseley found pivotal. “The purpose is to make sure that everyone is doing good, and then that’s the benchmark for everyone.”
What has God been teaching you recently?
“I’ve been thinking a lot about predestination. One way I’ve come to understand this concept is by picturing it like a GPS. The destination is there, but there are so many wrong and right turns that you can take along the way. God will give you signs to take a right, but I have the free choice to still take that left. He loves us so much that just because I took a left turn when he told me to take a right, He will not give up but will pursue you until you take a U-turn.”