Alumni

Alumni

During my time as a French Honors major and Spanish minor at Swarthmore, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to enter into an active dialogue with committed professors and fellow students. Studying abroad at the Université de Grenoble and the Universidad de Chile was perhaps the single most important experience of my Swarthmore career. It not only solidified for me my love of languages and permitted me access to other cultures, but it also introduced me to warm families and friends with whom I continue to be in contact today. Fabienne François, '02

Swarthmore's Program in Grenoble was the best semester of college for me. Not only did my French improve to the point of fluency, but I became absorbed in French culture, from the streets of Paris to vineyards and three-hour-long meals in Provence. The program provided experiences of a lifetime and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in studying French. Nathaniel Peters, ‘07.

The Swarthmore French Department is a standout even at a school where excellent teaching, involved professors, and engaging courses are a given. French classes were always a highlight of any semester, plunging me into literature that spanned the classics, the arcane, and the entire francophone world. The faculty are fiesty and devoted--central casting could not have delivered a crew more dynamic or better suited to encouraging any undergrad's latent francophilia. I have always had a weakness for all things French, and delving in at Swarthmore enabled me to set off into the adult world with both a rich cultural background and a fluent and confident command of the language. Benjamin Hanani, '00

My current career goals will most likely not take me abroad again soon. However, I continue to use my language skills on a regular basis with the large network of francophone friends around the world, and more importantly, I carry a broadened world view. I have reflected at length on how studying abroad has allowed me to at least begin to grasp the complexity of differing cultural viewpoints and to make strides toward greater cultural acceptance and tolerance. David Papanikolas, '93

My time in the French department at Swarthmore inspired me to continue with French after college, in France and hopefully ultimately in the North African countries whose literature I studied with Swarthmore French professors. After graduation, I returned to Grenoble to spend the 2002-2003 school year teaching English in elementary schools as an "Assistante de Langue." I loved my study abroad experience in Grenoble, and this additional year is a great continuation of that time because I have been able to reconnect with friends I made here three years ago while also perfecting my French, gaining teaching experience, making pastries in the kitchen of a boulangerie, and skiing and hiking in the mountains. Swarthmore's Grenoble program and its French and Francophone literature courses with top-notch professors made me happy during my college years and have influenced where I am now as well as my future goals.
Shira Kost-Grant