Jeren Hakiyeva comes to Wyoming from Turkmenistan, where Russian is a widely spoken language.  She is attending the University of Wyoming in the Masters of Public Administration program.  Jeren attended the Turkmenistan National Institute of World Languages, where her focus was on Russian language and literature.  She has worked in different capacities for Counterpart International Turkmenistan, as: Advocacy Specialist, Community Development Manager, and Deputy Chief.  She has eight years of teaching experience in a Russian school.  Jeren has a husband and two daughters and enjoys reading Russian literature in her spare time.