Sweet Briar College JYF in Paris Alumni Magazine - December 2018

town Paris.) It was a grocery store,
brimming with post-work shoppers; a
turnstile entry and an incredibly long
check-out line. I went in, perused,
and decided I didn’t want anything. I
circled the store a few times before I
realized there wasn’t an easy exit for
me, a puffy-jacketed, puffy-bodied
American. I went to back to the produce
area and (even now I distinctly
remember!) studied how I might get
out through the entry. It was no use. I
resigned myself and asked a lady how
to leave without buying anything. Her
grin was so... Parisian! She clucked
and told me to buy some fruits and
vegetables. I don’t remember how
I escaped her, but I do remember
almost crying in relief when I found
a single can of Coca-Cola on a shelf.
Sixty centimes. I grabbed it and joined
the ridiculously long, sluggish line.
When I emerged after paying my 60
centimes bail I sat on a bench in a
nearby square and savored that soda
like I had never before. I learned so
much in the hour (I assume) I had
been trapped. I learned that I need to
observe before rushing in to things.
That I need to be bold and ask for
help when needed. That irony is a
part of life. My JYF experience taught
me so, so much that I cannot justify
in a few words. Perhaps the most
prescient, though, is something our
grammar professor would say before
each and every class and that my stint
in the marché really encapsulated: “la
vie est belle.”
Mary “Mai” McCarthy, JYF spring 2009
Sweet Briar College
Paris, encore
I was lucky to study abroad with
Sweet Briar College in Paris during the
fall of 2016. I am not lying when I say
that I would not be where I am today
had it not been for my abroad experience!
I remember the orientation
period in the beautiful town of Tours
very well. From the very beginning
of our abroad programme, we were
assigned local host families (even in
Tours during orientation) that welcomed
us into their arms and gave
us our very first impression of French
culture and society. As of today, I am
still in touch with my mère d’accueil,
Evelyne. The summer days that we
spent in this town of the Val de Loire
set the bar high for what was to follow
two weeks later in Paris. I had had
an amazing time in Tours and to my
surprise, the three months that I spent
in Paris with Sweet Briar went just as
well if not better! I was assigned to a
French host family that I had dinner
with most nights and that gave me
valuable lessons and impressions on
modern-day French culture. Beyond
the host family experience, my classes
both at Sweet Briar in Reid Hall and at
La Sorbonne allowed me to truly improve
my French and understanding
of the French educational system. By
taking two classes at a local university,
I met plenty of French and other European
students that made my experience
unforgettable.
Inspired by this wonderful time,
I decided to go back to Paris the
summer after my junior year to intern
at a local association working with
refugees. I used my summer experience
at such association to then write
an independent study at my college
in the United States my senior year,
which was a wonderful way to finish
my studies.
Upon graduation, I did not doubt
twice to move back to Paris and follow
my dreams to continue my immersive
experience in the French capital.
Hence, I am now working as an au
pair for a French family while doing
my service civique at another French
association. This time I dedicate my
time to a French association that
provides professional guidance and
workshops to low-income students in
Paris. I am speaking French 24/7 and
learning much more than I could have
ever hoped for. I have no doubt that
all these experiences, inspired by my
time with Sweet Briar in Paris, will help
me achieve my professional goals.
Next year, I am hoping to start a master
degree on European public policy
(in Paris, of course!). Sending my hugs
to everyone at Sweet Briar in Paris—I
always look back at my days as a student
and would not trade them for
anything else!
Marta Martinez, JYF Fall 2016
Connecticut College
When I studied abroad with JYF I
took classes in microbiology at Paris
Diderot. Now, after graduating from
Kenyon College with a degree in biology,
I am back in Paris for the year
as an assistant teacher as a part of
the TAPIF program. I currently teach
at two middle schools in Noisy-le-
Grand and love it! This experience
has caused me to think more seriously
about a career in teaching. I still see
my friends that I made in JYF and
there are even a few of them living in
Paris this year, working as either au
pairs or as a part of the TAPIF program,
including my current roommate
Matt Berry. I’m still trying to decide if I
will go back to the United States after
this year or if I will try to stay in Paris.
Can’t wait to see where I end up, but
I definitely owe my current situation
to my study abroad semester with JYF
where I increased my French language
proficiency, made lifelong friends, and
prepared myself for a life abroad.
Austin Smith, JYF spring 2017
Kenyon College
Bonjour! My name is Matt Berry from
Redding, Conn. I was lucky enough
to join the Sweet Briar program in the
spring of 2017. The experience was
more than I could have expected. This
program really allows one to grow in
their French capabilities. Although I
was in a new country, I had a strong
support system, starting from my host
family, the program heads, and all the
professors at Sweet Briar. I formed
many strong friendships that I am still
close to today. As of right now, I am
living in Paris and working as a language
assistant for the Teaching Assistant
Program in France (TAPIF) . From
my year alone, six of us are back living
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