Are you an alumni of the French program?
We would love to hear from you! Fill out our alumni survey to be featured on the Department of French and Italian's website! The survey can be completed here: https://forms.gle/VJrbqsHBQu3GtHKE7.
If you'd like to stay in contact with the department after graduation, then please send your personal email address to Lindsey Parisius, [email protected], to be added to the alumni email list!
2024
Amara Ugwu
Sociology with a French minor
I'm currently continuing my sociology and French studies as a sociology PhD student at UC Santa Barbara.
I decided to minor in French to continue the language skills I built in high school and to gain more cultural knowledge. Coincidentally, minoring in French introduced me to many French-speaking sociologists and their works. Thanks to the smaller class sizes and enthusiastic professors, I was able to build professional connections and gain invaluable cultural experiences which I applied and continue to use in my academic journey.
Emily Gao
Animal Science with a French minor
All the French classes I took made me more proficient in the French language. This prepares me to practice as a vet in the future in France. My advice is to plan your time well. I would’ve been able to double major in French if I started at higher division French classes. I placed much higher than FRE 2, but I was afraid of the rigorous college curriculum so I chose to take easier classes when I came to UCD as a freshman. Shoutout to professor Guynn and his Moliere class! Professor Mezzour-Hodson for her amazing Francophone culture class! Professor Goldstein’s French Revolution class!
2023
Siyan Kabir
French and Human Biology
Currently, I'm working as a medical assistant at a local clinic in SoCal, where I get to apply my knowledge of human biology in a practical setting. Additionally, I'm tutoring French online, sharing my passion for the language and culture with others. It's a fulfilling balance of both my majors and allows me to contribute to healthcare while also spreading the joy of learning French.
Studying French at UC Davis sharpened my thinking and broadened my understanding of language and culture. It laid a strong groundwork for more learning and taught me how to communicate well, especially in teaching French.
Lara Johannson
French and Psychology
Currently, I’m working as a teacher at an elementary school over the summer, I’m teaching a music class and a performance class. This fall I will be studying towards my masters degree in French with a specialization in French Canadian and North American francophone studies at the University of Maine.
My advice for students interested in studying French is to do it. Get to know your classmates and professors. The faculty to student ratio allowed for a lot of personal learning and made me feel comfortable asking questions and exploring new topics that eventually led to me discovering that I was interested specifically in French linguistics and that I wanted to continue my education and research through a masters and eventually a PhD program.
2022
Cole Bacon
French and Political Science
I’m currently participating in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) for the 2023-24 school year, so I’m living in a small town in southeast France (Tournon-sur-Rhône) teaching English at the collège and lycée level. I use French as my dominant, day-to-day language in everything from conversing with my new colleagues/friends and questioning the vendors at the weekly marchés to opening a bank account and navigating the French administration.
Because of my French coursework at UC Davis, I am able to more wholly integrate myself into the local culture and benefit from it as a result. Even in the classrooms here (where I teach in English), my French coursework has prepared me for the tasks and challenges of working in a school environment: oral/written competency, attention to cultural differences, problem solving, and much more.
Keely Loh
French and Cognitive Science
I studied French in high school and initially took French classes at UC Davis as a way to fulfill the language requirement to receive a B.A. However, I fell in love with the major through great learning experiences with the faculty and making connections with my peers! The courses captured my interest, and the professors are all so engaging that I really enjoyed taking French classes each quarter!
I am now a 2nd grade teacher in the Bay Area! I stayed in Davis after undergrad to get my teaching credential and MA in education. The French major taught me a lot about how people communicate and pushed me to think critically about our increasingly globalized world. This is incredibly useful to me in my current work in education.
2021
Brenna Gallagher
French and Anthropology
I was a double major in French and Anthropology. I have always loved the French language and culture and the diversity of people. The classes are fun and motivating, I recommend going to office hours. I’m currently finishing my Master's in Art and Cultural Management at ICART in Bordeaux, France. I’m working as a luxury travel manager in Bordeaux.
2020
Aliyah Romero
French and International Relations
French was my favorite subject throughout high school, so I knew I wanted to continue studying it in college. The French courses I took at UC Davis were some of the best, most memorable courses I took during undergrad. In addition, given my interest in working in global health, I knew that strengthening my French skills via the French major would be an asset given the high demand for French speakers in the sector.
I currently intern for the Yale Global Health Leadership Initiative (GHLI) where I work on multiple Francophone programs related to health systems strengthening. My internship requires a significant amount of French-English and English-French translation, which I would not have had the skills to perform had I not taken French at UC Davis, studied abroad in France, and later lived in France again to work as an English Language Assistant.
2019
Georgianna Horton
French and Economics
I learned a lot about the world while studying a foreign language. The people in the classes are all interesting, professors and students alike and great resources. After graduation, I worked with the TAPIF program, teaching English in Northern France for a year. Currently I’m in a MA program at Sacramento State. Anything you choose to learn about or really, anything you’re interested in will eventually come around again in your life; whether it be a foreign language that you take for 9 quarters or an archaeology class you randomly sign up for. It comes back to be useful for you.