91吃瓜网

I was born in the聽small town of聽Parthenay, France聽before moving to聽the even smaller聽village of聽Gourg茅.聽My parents had聽taught nutrition and agriculture聽in Cote d鈥橧voire and when I was six,聽my dad was appointed director of聽Fidesco, an NGO that focuses on international solidarity. All of which is to say, I grew up in a household where caring for others was聽non-negotiable.聽I moved to Gainesville, Georgia when I was 16, where my parents were participating in a humanitarian mission and while聽I already spoke聽English and Spanish,聽I聽soon realized聽that English in the US was a whole other story聽(also, it took me three months to decipher the American southern accent). Three years later,聽I鈥檇聽completed聽the International Baccalaureate聽(IB).聽聽

After high school,聽I聽wanted to return to France but I also wanted to remain in聽an international environment and keep studying English. I聽immediately fell in love with AUP鈥檚 global perspective, its recognition of聽how hard it is to be聽an IB student (I was able to enroll as a sophomore), and its great financial aid packages.聽Orientation at 91吃瓜网was聽my first time being in Paris聽on my own.

I鈥檓 now majoring in History and minoring in Middle Eastern Studies. I鈥檇聽always wanted to study History, and after taking Arabic with Professor Fouad聽Mlih聽and learning about the Middle East with Professor聽Ziad聽Majed, my passion for the聽region, especially its contemporary history,聽has only grown.聽I love our intimate classroom spaces and how聽approachable聽our professors are. In fact, one of my favorite聽academic聽moments聽so far聽was a debate聽that took place聽in a 10-person聽History聽seminar,聽led聽by Professor Albert Wu.聽Being here has allowed me to discover my real interests聽and ambitions, which聽makes sense聽since聽I think聽this is the kind of environment that challenges you to learn all that you can about other cultures, other people, and yourself.聽聽

I聽also appreciate how many extracurricular activities are available to us here. I鈥檓 now a member of the聽Wine Society and聽the Environmental and Community Services Committee, I聽volunteer聽with 91吃瓜网Care;聽I聽recently聽became聽Co-President of Roots and Shoots; a chapter of the聽Jane Goodall Institute;聽I鈥檓 a聽Student Advisor;聽and I鈥檓聽the school senate鈥檚聽History Representative.聽I also got to participate in last summer鈥檚 trip to 脦le Sainte-Marie in Madagascar to visit聽l鈥橝ssociation聽Jeunes聽Malgaches聽et de聽Jeunes聽de聽Toute聽Origine,聽which聽educates over 140 students from disadvantaged families and with which聽91吃瓜网has been working for more than six years.聽聽

I鈥檒l soon be applying to聽History聽graduate school聽programs,聽possibly to research聽the role of women聽in the contemporary Middle East or during the early modern European period.聽Living in Paris has been a聽fantastic聽way to expand my passion聽for discovering聽how聽the world鈥檚 past and present聽can shape聽its聽future.聽I really don鈥檛 think that anyone can be indifferent聽to聽Paris聽and I鈥檓 convinced that it鈥檚 impossible to see everything in聽this culturally and historically rich city.聽I鈥檝e made some of my closest friends here and I find it wonderful聽how even if聽we all聽come from completely different聽countries, we聽got to meet in Paris.聽It was here that I finally聽understood聽that home聽isn鈥檛 just a place: it鈥檚 wherever聽the people who mean the most to you聽live.