A new book

FRIT Yearbook, Spring 2020

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Congratulations to the French, Italian, and Romance Language Graduates of the Class of 2020! We are proud of your individual and collective accomplishments—not the least of which is completing a degree in the midst of a global pandemic.&nbsp;Given your studies and knowledge of one or more of the Romance Languages, your experiences abroad, and all that you have discovered about how different cultures and peoples have interacted with and made sense of the world across the centuries to produce enduring works of literature and art, we know that you are uniquely positioned to make an important contribution to the complex and interconnected global world we inhabit. Be fearless, continue to cross borders, seek new adventures; but do not forget the places that have shaped you and the people whose paths you have crossed. To make that a little easier and to make up for what we lack by not being physically together on this day, we offer you this "book."* Enjoy and congratulations again.&nbsp; --Mme Scullen and the entire French and Italian Faculty

Dr. Mary Ellen Scullen Head, Dept of French &amp; Italian

Thank you to Mercédès Baillargeon, Erica Cefalo, and Morgan McMahon without whom this wonderful keepsake would not exist.

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The Department of French and Italian Faculty

Garrett Yocklin Major in Italian, Persian, and Linguistics, Minor in French

Memorable activities: Studying abroad in Perugia, Italy and the travels I did around Italy and France afterwards was definitely the most memorable semester of my time here. I really enjoyed participating in the language partner program for French and Italian. I lived in the Language House for a semester, and even though it wasn't in the French or Italian cluster I met a lot of really awesome people there.&nbsp; I'd like to thank Professor Amodeo for not only teaching me about Italian language and society, but also being a good friend, from sending me videos and articles in Italian she thinks will interest me to showing me around her home city of Genova, she has defined my time at UMD. Accomplishments: I was a Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar and nominated Professor Amodeo as my mentor. I also studied Persian in Tajikistan for a summer on the Critical Language Scholarship program.&nbsp; What I learned: Majoring in French and Italian here certainly helped to improve my language abilities, but it also allowed me to study the society, history, and literature of the countries where these languages are spoken. I am grateful to the professors who have guided me towards this international perspective of the world, as well as the friends I have met along the way.&nbsp;

Gabrielle Lorenz Gunshol Major in Government and Politics &amp; French

I am a double major in GVPT and French, graduating Cum Laude, studied abroad in Nice during spring 2019. Shoutout to Mme Scullen for being the best resident director we could’ve asked for and to all my friends I made abroad, je vous aime toujours. Through the French program, especially during my time abroad, I’ve gained a desire to explore the world and learn as much as I can from people that are different from myself. At the same time, I‘ve learned that we are inextricably connected through our humanity and language helps us discover that.

Awura Abena Serwaa Osei Major in French

Hi, my name is Awura Osei and throughout my time here at UMD I've been extremely involved. Although there were many, many challenging times I can honestly say that I've enjoyed my time on campus with the Class of 2020. I have served leadership positions in Royalhouse Students &amp; Associates, my Bible study, the Undergraduate Student National Dental Association, and Le Cercle des Étudiants Francophones et Francophiles. I have also worked as a Community Assistant for the Department of Resident Life and Receptionist for the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education. I've had the opportunity to remain active within the African Terps community as I hosted the ASPAC Benefit Concert in 2019 and participated in the 2019 ASA Pageant. My favorite moments outside of my classes were spent with friends at both organized events and casual hangouts at our favorite spots on campus. After four years at the University of Maryland, I can finally said that I DID IT and I'm so proud this accomplishment. Mme. Cefalo and Dr. Baillargeon --- THANK YOU so much for being such kind, supportive teachers. I truly appreciate all that you have done for me and I can't thank you enough for helping me through this journey. May your efforts never go unseen and may the Lord bless you all in your own endeavors. Class of 2020 --- the class with vision and strength --- WE MADE IT. Congratulations and I'm going to miss you all! &#160; Sincerely, Your Fellow Terp Alumna Awura A. Osei

Megan is a French and International relations double major. She was part of Gymkana for 3 years and the Language House Immersion Program for 2.5. She studied abroad twice in France and once in Cuba. Next year she hopes to be a grad student in Public Policy at UMD.&nbsp; “I gained a new level of independence and confidence using what I was taught in UMD classrooms in real life. Even if I am just ordering food or checking out at the store, it is empowering to be able to understand what’s going on around me in a foreign country.”&nbsp;

Megan Irene Miller Major in Government and Politics - International Relations and French

I have so many amazing memories with the French Department at UMD. The amount of knowledge I have gained from these past four years excite me for what’s to come. I would like to thank all the professors who showed their endless  love for the French language and culture.&#160;

Erika Nicole Cornejo Major in French, Minor in Italian

Pendant mes temps à l'université de Maryland, je me suis puisé à l'amour d’explorer, manger et voyager. J’ai fait de l’aviron toutes les quatre années, faisant des meilleurs amis et testant / cassant mes limites mentales et physiques. L’accessibilité à Washington m’a permis à gouter le monde en préparation pour mon vrai goût du monde en Europe. Tandis que j’ai appris beaucoup dans mes cours, les expériences que j’ai eu dehors de la salle de cours m’ont enseigné des amitiés et comment on doit adapter à la vie.&nbsp; Le départment français m’a défié à penser critique dans un autre langue vers les cours et à Nice pour un semestre entier. Ma comprehension culturelle et de la langue française a augmenté d’une façon exponentielle, et j’attends avec impatience pour la prochaine étape de ma vie avec Français.

Connor S. Senay Major in Journalism and French

At the University of Maryland, I’ve had the opportunity to do so many things. Academically, I achieved two degrees, in French and Criminology. But I also studied Arabic, cybersecurity, computer science, and so many other things. I lived in the Language House for a year, and got to experience a completely different world, where I was able to speak a different language all the time. I got to study abroad in Nice, even if it got cut short, and I made so many great friends there. And when I graduate, I’ll move on to the Air Force, where I’ll attend pilot training next year. I want to give a shout out to my family, who made this all possible, and my friends, who have been the best support system.&nbsp; My experience in Nice was so unique to this program. As a second semester senior, it’s pretty rare to study abroad, but given my involvement in ROTC, it was a blessing that I was even able to study abroad in the first place. The department and my cadre at ROTC were amazing to work with, and I can’t thank them enough for giving me the chance to study in Nice. It’s an experience I will never forget, and one that shaped the end of my time at college!

Margaret Hayden is a double major in Arabic and French Studies and a 2019-2020 Boren Scholar. During her time here at University of Maryland, she explored the many cultures and traditions encompassed in her degree first in College Park and later travelling to and studying in Nice, France and more recently Meknes, Morocco. Margaret would like to thank all of her professors, family, and friends at UMD and AALIM for the constant encourage and support over the past 5 years.&nbsp;

Margaret Amelia Hayden Major in Arabic and French, Minor in Global Terrorism

B.A. in French

OMG every day is awesome at UMD, except the final week for every semester.&nbsp; I can speak Italian now! It is amazing! Italian opens a new world for me. I took my mom to visit Sardegna last summer, where people only speak Italian. I want to go back to Italy soon!&nbsp;

Liuyuwen Yang Major in Psychology, Italian, and Criminology&nbsp;and Criminal Justice

Congratulations to our graduates! Department of French and Italian Spring 2020

Paola Berridi Major in Romance Languages

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at UMD! One of the most memorable and interesting things I became involved in was the 'Intern for a Day' Program, provided by the Career Center. It allowed me with an opportunity to shadow employers and broaden my interests on which career paths to pursue after undergrad. Majoring in Romance Languages allowed me to become multilingual, in which granted me the chance to accept and work on a full-time, paid internship, through out my 2019-2020 semester. Although my scholarly journey wasn't easy or short-lived, I feel so fulfilled with my academic studies and am grateful for my involvement and education at UMD! I can't wait to see what the future holds! I learned that patience truly is a virtue, mistakes are actually a good thing, and growth comes from experience.

The most interesting things about my time at Maryland would have to be travelling abroad and getting to improve my French with native speakers.&nbsp; I work in an undergraduate research lab in the chemistry department. I earned my ILS honor's college citation as well as a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in neurobiology, a B.A. in French, and B.S. in chemistry with departmental honors. Additionally, I have been accepted to the graduate Ph.D. Chemistry program at the University of Virginia. I would like to shout out my family, the whole Nice Spring 2019 cohort, Leo Blondel, and Rose Raufman.&nbsp; Through the undergraduate French program, I got to have a humanities perspective as well as a scientific perspective. It has really helped me become more open-minded.

Connor Martin McDermott Major in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and French

Throughout my college experience, I was a member of University Honors, a program within the Honors College. In addition to taking Honors courses, I became further involved in the program by teaching Honors100, an introductory course for University Honors freshman. I’ve always been passionate about the retail industry, so I became involved with MasTERPiece, a fashion business organization within the Smith School of Business. My sophomore year, I served as the Vice President of Finance for the organization. My junior year, I joined the French Cluster of the Language House while working as a Program Planning Intern with Lockheed Martin in their Washington D.C. Office. Without a doubt, the best part of my college experience was studying abroad in Nice, France during the spring 2019 semester. After returning to UMD to finish my senior year, I became a co-president of the Language House Student Advisory Board. In recognition of my efforts, I was awarded the Dr. Phoenix Liu Scholarship in the fall 2019 semester. After graduation, I will be a member of the Inventory Analytics and Planning Executive Development Program with Macy’s in Long Island City, Queens, New York.&nbsp;

Julia Lane Stratford Major in Information Systems and French

I graduated from UMD in December with a bachelors degree in French and American Studies, both of which allowed me to broaden my horizons while thinking critically about the world around me and the impacts of intersecting cultures and identities. In Spring 2019, I was able to spend a semester abroad in Nice with an amazing group of people. Outside of academics, I joined the figure skating club in 2017 as a relative novice but with the constant support and encouragement of fellow club members, I competed solo representing the university in spring of 2018 and was able to join the synchronized skating team and compete with them at the Dr. Porter Synchronized Classic in Michigan in fall of 2018. The French department at Maryland gave me so many opportunities as a student to study what I am passionate about even under the umbrella of French (in my case, film analysis, which I also focused on in American Studies). Maryland-in-Nice gave me the opportunity to study in a university setting and the small cohort meant we all knew each other and were pretty close by the end of the trip. I’m so glad that I decided to pursue what I truly love and switch from Physics to French in 2017.

Natalie French Major in French and American Studies

Some memorable experiences during my time at UMCP include participating with friends in extracurricular events at the language house such as the poetry event and being a facilitator for the English Conversation Partners Program this spring. I am pleased to be a member of both the Pi Delta Phi and the Tau Sigma Honor Societies. I would like to especially thank Dr. Scullen who I have had the pleasure of working with this semester after completing the Undergraduate Technology Apprenticeship Program (UTAP) in the fall for her encouragement and feedback on multiple projects. I would also like to thank all my friends and professors for their inspiring advice and guidance. Finally, I look forward to continuing my journey here this fall to start the M.Ed. program.

Isabella Stefania Wajsowicz Macrae Major in French, Minor in Secondary Education

Maggie McPherson majored in Italian Studies while on a pre-physical therapy track. She also had the amazing opportunity this past semester to do an internship with the Italian Program at the Brookewood School in Kensington, Maryland. She is so grateful for her time at the University of Maryland and hopes to attend Physical Therapy school in 2021. She wants to thank all her incredible friends, especially those from the Catholic Student Center and from her Italian classes. She gives a special shout out to Dr. Amodeo for her unwavering support and for being her Italian nonna!&nbsp;

le Carnaval de Nice février 2019

It is hard to believe that these four years are already coming to an end. It still feels like yesterday that I was a freshman starting this adventure. There are a lot of memories that I will take with me from college. Memories of the stressful feeling of approaching deadlines, the laughter I have shared with my friends, and of the people that I have met, both students and teachers, over these four years. Some of my most memorable moments aren’t from any major on-campus events or some of my accomplishments, but from mundane moments that I didn’t think much of at the time. I think I will always remember working long hours on group projects where we would talk and laugh while we tried to get things done, words of encouragement given to me from my favorite professors, and the long conversations that my friends and I had where we would laugh so hard that tears would form in our eyes.&nbsp;

Vanessa Mota Pessoa Major in French and Marketing

Ce n’est pas une surprise que mes études à Nice fait un temps fort de la programme. J’aimais tellement être dans les cultures française et niçoise. J’ai aussi apprécié les programmes de “language partners”, celui à Nice autant que celui au Maryland. Je jeux remercier tous mes profs: Mme Bezilla (qui était Mme Redman en ce temps-là), Mme McMahon, Mme Lozinsky, M Brami, M Campagne, Mme Benharrech, et surtout Mme Scullen. Chacun m’a donné des leçons inestimables ainsi que des encouragements et a contribué à augmenter mon intérêt (en fait, mon amour) pour la langue et culture française.&#160; Ce qui est particulièrement spécial concernant mon aventure à l’université de Maryland, c’est l’appréciation que j’ai gagné pour la profondeur et la richesse de la culture francophone. Ce que j’ai appris au lycée n’est même pas une fraction minuscule de ce que &#160;j’ai appris ici!&#160;

Veronica Yesenia Canales Major in Journalism and French

I always looked forward to the annual Open House in the French Department where there were goodies available and we could interact with our peers while also learning what was happening in the department. As a journalism double major, I got the opportunity to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner and become a reporter for Capital News Service, our school’s tv network. I loved learning about French literature in my classes. They really helped me understand France’s culture and history. Reading French literature challenged me to learn more vocabulary and also helped me with my speaking/pronunciation skills.

I truly loved my time at UMD. I would say that I'm very thankful for choosing to be a French major, as all the teachers and staff members I have worked with have been extremely supportive of my progress. Dr. Cefalo has, not only, helped me time and time again with advising tips and French grammar, but has also helped me figure out what I want to do with my linguistic skills post graduation. I am thankful she is my advisor, and would say she is one of my favorite teachers. Mme. Eades helped me understand my true writing and analytical potential in French through her literature and film courses, and helped me dive deeper into my love for poetry. Mme. Scullen helped me discover this amazing new interest in the phonetic structure of the French language, and Mme. Benharrech helped me realize how much I like to speak during class debates. Mme. Joseph-Massena, Mme. Favier-Kelly, Mme. McMahon, Mercedes, M. Campagne, have all made me smile or laugh in one way or another, and they are what has made my experience as a French Major at UMD amazing.

Deborah Abigail Salazar Major in French

My most interesting time with the Maryland French department was studying abroad Spring 2019 with the Maryland in Nice program. My French skills improved immensely and I loved immersing myself in the French culture. I have used my French skills while working for the Department of Defense and I am excited to see what doors these skills will open for me in the future. My favorite thing I learned with the French Department was the history of the French language in Madame Scullen’s course. I would like to shout out Connor McDermott, Abigail Reno, Gabrielle Gunshol, Emma Walz, Megan Miller, and the rest of the Nice Spring 2019 gang. Finally I would like to thank my parents, without whom my interest in the French language would have never been piqued.

Rose Raufman Major in Public Policy and French

Throughout my three years at the University of Maryland, I completed a dual degree in French Language and Literature and Criminology and Criminal Justice. During the Spring of 2019, I studied abroad in Nice, France for 5 months for French immersion followed by a month-long program in Naples, Italy in June 2019 for human trafficking. I am looking forward to graduating and starting a career in law enforcement where I will have the opportunity to merge my French and Criminology studies.&nbsp;

Hannah Elizabeth Munson Major in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and French

Dante is a double major in French and Linguistics who indulged his passion for languages at the University of Maryland by also taking courses in Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. Favorite moments include most everything about studying in France as part of the small Maryland in Nice cohort in Fall 2018, living in the Language House, and spending two summers (2018, 2019) at the University of Oxford doing independent research on the French language under the tutelage of university professors on aspects of its history, standardization, colloquial use, and intersection with (post)-colonialism.

Dante Pascal Betancourt-Coughenour Major in French and Linguistics

Ayda Soltanian Major in Biological Sciences and French

Looking back at my time here at UMD, there are too many memories to count. Deciding to become a double degree in Biology and French was a big decision but I was determined to excel! Taking French classes allowed to explore another world outside of science, meet new and interesting friends, as well as become more cultured though film and readings. I also joined Terp thon and Help center during undergrad which were both organizations that taught me a lot about important causes that need our help. My favorite part of UMD were the friendships I made along the way; the friends I have made studying for finals and writing papers a lot easier! Thank you UMD, I will miss this place!!

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