Kaity Mussio 

Class of 2017

Centenary’s French program, and our fantastic professors, Dr. A-B and Dr. Kress, have opened up my world in so many ways. My proficiency in the French language has given me so many fun opportunities, and Dr. A-B’s expertise in gender and sexuality, post-colonial, and Afro-Caribbean culture has left a profound impact on me as a conscious, global scholar. I am currently a graduate student at UC Berkeley, getting my masters of public health, concentrating in global health and environment. Living in California’s Bay Area, I am immersed in a global, international community. I have had so many opportunities to connect with people through French language. I also was hired to work at a French Immersion daycare, which was an amazing experience. I love meeting new people who also speak French!

Lucas Lawrence

Class of 2019

At Centenary the French department has a multitude of events on and off campus and programs that allow students to work on their French. French foreign exchange students are usually present every semester and that program allowed me an opportunity to make friends who, after some time, convinced me to learn French as a second language. Since then I have traveled to several French-speaking countries such as Haiti, France, and Belgium, all because of my time at Centenary. I've always wanted to learn multiple languages and being at Centenary made my pursuit of French a culturally rich and exciting experience.

 

Zuri Jenkins

Class of 2020

I am from Zachary, Louisiana. I graduated with a BS in International Business and an Economics minor, along with a BA in French. I studied abroad in Lille, France, and it was a great experience. I was able to take French classes and take business classes to fulfill class requirements for both degrees. I also explored parts of France and Belgium that I may not have been able to see otherwise, and made great connections with people there!

I’m currently a French teacher at Port Allen High School and I am enrolled in the master’s program at LSU in Baton Rouge.

 

Theresa Johnson

Class of 2024

I am from Shreveport, Louisiana and I graduated from Caddo Magnet High School. I am a 2024 graduate holding a B.A. in French and Theatre, and a B.S. in Accounting. During my time at Centenary, I studied abroad for a summer in Lille, France, and it was an eye-opening experience that changed my life. Spending time in another country inspired me to apply for graduate programs I previously thought out of reach. I am now happy to say that I am continuing my studies at NYU Steinhardt this fall by working towards an MA in performing arts administration. Many things factored into this decision, but my study abroad experience was a key factor.

 

Jaspen Charles

Class of 2025

My name is Jaspen Charles, and I am a 3rd year French and English major at Centenary College of Louisiana. I graduated from Cecilia Senior High School in 2020 and am expected to graduate from Centenary in 2025. I had the opportunity to study in Barbados in May of 2024, which was an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. We learned a little about the history of Barbados before we left, but nothing could prepare me for the beauty that I saw. I think this experience has helped me to be a bit more empathetic to our exchange students who come to America for months at a time. Everything is a learning experience, and I believe that travelling abroad is one of the best learning experiences ever.

After graduation, I plan on furthering my education in Africana studies, and eventually teaching at a small college or university somewhere in the world. One thing is sure, I want to use my French and English skills to learn as much about the world as possible!

 

Coby Harris

Class of 2025

Bonjour! I am Coby Harris from Lafayette, Louisiana where I started my journey in the French language. At the age of 5, I was in French Immersion at Evangeline Elementary. French was spoken 80% of the day at school, we learned math, science, and social studies in French, along with having a French grammar class. My French career continued at Paul Breaux Middle School, which I attended from 6th to 8th grade. I continued to attend David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy for high school which did not have French Immersion, so my French career ended in middle school. It wasn't  the fall semester of my junior year at Centenary that I was drawn back to French. It had been six long years without French, and after being pushed to pursue French once again by my mother and Dr. A-B, I had some room in my schedule to do just that. Since I started my junior year, I only had time to achieve a minor in French. It is never easy learning a language but since I had prior experience I was able to regain my foreign language skills rather quickly.

Towards the end of my junior year, through Dr. Kress, I learned about an opportunity to study abroad for the summer which would allow me to achieve a Bachelor of Arts in French instead of a minor on top of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics I was already pursuing. I studied abroad at l'Université Catholique de Lille for four weeks. I took two different classes and was immersed in the French language and culture for an entire month. It was a life-changing experience, it was my first time out of the country. I was able to see other parts of Europe while I was there, but my French improved tremendously taking those classes and having to speak French to get around. It was challenging at first but putting forth an effort to speak French correctly played a huge role in improving my accent, pronunciation of words, comfort with speaking, fluidity, and ability to articulate ideas. That's an experience I will remember for the rest of my life!

From my study abroad experience, along with my advanced grammar class taught by Dr. Kress and my dive into the cultural history of the French world taught by Dr. Doherty, I was able to consistently sharpen my French skills. I knew I was progressing and getting better at French every single day. My skills were put to the test through the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) on November 7th, 2023. I scored Advanced High on the interview which is the highest recorded score by an American student at Centenary College!

My next steps are to pursue Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. I want a career in making prosthetics and/or surgical tools. No matter which avenue I end up going down as a career, I know I want to be able to use my French skills to communicate my engineering works with French-speaking countries. I want the opportunity to be able to work abroad and be in contact with countries around the world. The French that I've gained through Centenary College will allow me to achieve those dreams when the opportunity presents itself. The French language will always be a part of me, I can't wait to see where it takes me.