Alumni Profiles - Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley

ECOLE BILINGUE DE BERKELEY
Alumni profile: Pia Hauch,
Class of 2003
I cannot write this letter as a compilation of wise sayings or
anecdotes. I can only say that it is my story since I was a preschooler
at Ecole Bilingue. The experiences and opportunities
that EB provided me were ones that I still consider immeasurable
and priceless. As a graduating senior at Bentley and a rising
undergrad at Stanford University, I have only just come to value
the education I received up through 8th grade.
I’ll never forget all the galettes I ate and fèves that I didn’t win,
the endless fear I got from Mr. Coup’s “classe de géométrie” and
our trips to Washington D.C and St. Mammes. To this day, I
have intensely vivid memories of the great teachers and friends
that influenced my life for so many years. During spring recess
of 3rd grade, my parents and I went to visit some close friends
who were living in France. We arrived at the airport and had to
catch a taxi. In his charming American accent, my father tried
to pronounce the name of our hotel. The taxi driver just sat
there, eyes glazed over, shrugging his shoulders as my father insensately
continued to butcher his French. So, as a soft-spoken
nine-year old, I gave the driver the name of our hotel and our
reason for coming Paris. Dumbfounded, he and I talked for the
rest of the cab ride. This was my first demonstration of what EB
had taught me. Not only had I been taught the vocabulary of
the French language, I was able to, mindlessly, hold a conversation
with a true Parisian.
My graduating class was twenty-seven students – when I tell
my current friends this, they roll their eyes and say, “Wow,
I’m sorry. That must have sucked.” I’ve never understood why
they’ve said this because I’d always considered that to be one of
the best parts of EB. I not only knew everybody’s name but I
knew all the little things that made them unique. Those people,
many of whom I still keep in touch with, were my family away
from home, and to me, that is a feeling that very few people are
fortunate enough to find.
As I look back on all that EB has given me, I can’t recall enough
moments to do it justice. I can say, however, that as I take the
next steps in my education, I attribute much of the confidence
I have to the structure and support that EB provided me. I
learned to approach life with innovation and open-mindedness.
The diverse population of gender, culture and economic
background allowed me to quickly understand what it meant
to be a good citizen in a confusing, complex and ever-changing
world. I forewarn any future graduates of this bilingual school
that the education you receive here will never leave you. It will
open countless doors to incredible opportunities and memories
that will undoubtedly last you a lifetime.
WN30–7 may 2007