Masha graduated from Carleton College in 2009 with a B.A. in International Relations and French & Francophone Studies. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, she immigrated with her family to St. Paul in 1989. Her work in the Carleton Career Center provided Masha with a background in academic and career counseling and gave her experience in program development. Masha developed her instructional skills and classroom experience during her three summers as a language instructor and counselor at Concordia Language Villages in the Russian program.