Majoring in French (one of two undergrad degrees I received at SCU) helped to open professional and personal doors for me both during and after college. First and foremost, the professors in the program were genuinely interested in engaging students about French and Francophone culture, and it was clear from the beginning that their heart was truly in the program. Second, I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without my best friend Brittany, who I met in French 21, and who I traveled abroad to Paris with in 2007.
Not only did this program influence my life while at Santa Clara, but upon graduation as well. After SCU, I was given the opportunity to move back to France and teach elementary English in the north of France, an opportunity that helped me grow as a person more than any other. This international experience has always been viewed as an asset professionally; skills I learned abroad such as adapting to unfamiliar situations, remaining flexible, and being comfortable engaging with people of all backgrounds are indispensable to a company, and were rooted in my background in the French Department at SCU.