Equipped with hard-earned French language skills, two Pierce College students will be landing in Paris for their first time this July.
Casynee Caukin and Alexander Alvarez were selected by the Dennis and Anne Beaver Foundation—located in Bakersfield—for a competitive opportunity to study abroad in France this summer and attend the openings of the Summer 2024 Olympics.
“It’s always a plus, when you transfer somewhere, if you have this kind of experience,” French Language Professor Denis Pra said. “When you learn a foreign language, you learn a new culture, and perhaps a different way to think, and to imagine and consider the world.”
Both students heard from Pra there was an opening for the scholarship, and took the opportunity to apply.
“When he mentioned that this is just a great way to extend the horizons, I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s go for it,’” said Alvarez, who graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in neurobiology and is taking time to learn more about French at Pierce before applying to medical school.
Alvarez said he is looking forward to being in France during the Olympics.
“I think it’s super exciting to have the Olympics close by,” Alvarez said. “One of the directors of the program told us that there’s going to be fan sites that we can definitely visit, as well as we might have the opportunity to watch the opening ceremony on the Seine.”
The students will be part of a study abroad program, explained Pra, and will stay for the full month of July with all expenses paid. They are at an intermediate level of French, which is a requirement of the foundation.
“In the morning, they’re going to have their classes, and then in the afternoon, they have some visits organized and some free time,” Pra said. “But they will have a lot of time to explore the city. They have a weekend in Alsace, which is an area near Germany. They have a night organized at the opera in Paris.”
Caukin has been taking French classes since high school and said she is excited to immerse herself in the language.
“We think we’re going to try to see the atmosphere, experience how the city is around the Olympics,” said Caukin, a marketing major. “It’s going to be a really fun experience.”
Delilah Brumer and Raquel G. Frohlich contributed to this story.
