French

Arts & Communication

Meredith Glisson '05
After receiving her double major in dance and French, Meredith moved to Lyon, France with the opportunity to conduct research at the Centre Chorégraphique National with the Maguy Marin Dance Company. Her junior year aboard in Paris furthered her introduction to the European dance scene where along with her French courses; she was able to conduct a year-long independent study in dance. Upon graduation she desired to return to France where she could continue advancing her French and become a part of the dance community abroad. Meredith has been living in France for two years, where she has presented her own works at the "Il Faut Brûler Pour Briller," an international dance festival in Paris and has worked for Subsistances, an artistic laboratory, and La Baraka/Abou Lagraa Dance Company, along with continuing her study at the C.C.N. She is also on the board of Chez Bushwick, Inc, an artist-run organization in Brooklyn, New York, which is creating a strong international exchange, especially in France, for artists to create work and have residencies in other countries.

Elizeth Labega '94
"Having decided at age 15 that I wanted to become a translator and interpreter, I was very excited about Hollins and its Paris Abroad program. When I returned from my junior year in France I was so very much more confident, both as a woman and as a speaker of the French language. The Paris faculty had fully supported me in my unconventional language-acquisition methods, which included singing and juggling. Also, Hollins' Short Term Program made it possible for me to complete an internship at a translation company in New York City and have a taste of the world of language professionals. I left Hollins with a major in French, a minor in Spanish, and the solid foundation I needed to attend the Monterey Institute of International Studies which, at the time, was the only place in the USA offering a master's degree in translation and interpretation. Two years of intense training plus a year off to study in a similar program in Belgium prepared me for life as a professional linguist. I passed the State Department Escort Interpreter exam and worked briefly as a telephone interpreter, then decided that working with the written word (translation) rather than the spoken word (interpretation) suited me best. Starting with a computer and a purchased list of translation company addresses, I set up shop in my apartment. Non-translation assignments through temporary employment agencies and other part-time work kept me afloat until I had built my client base to the point where I could become a full-time translator, receiving my documents by fax or e-mail and returning my translations of those documents electronically. I passed the American Translators Association examination to become certified for French and Dutch into English translation, and my master's degree came a few years later when I translated a book on rock climbing as my thesis. In any case, it had never occurred to me that I would be self-employed, so I had to learn about running a business as I went along. Hollins had taught me that I could pursue any career I wanted, and once I realized that working freelance was an option, I never looked back. This is my ten-year anniversary as a translator."

Business

Meredith Pierce Hunter '07
Meredith Pierce Hunter graduated from Hollins with a double major in French and International Studies in 1997. Originally from Perry, Georgia, Meredith worked in Brussels, Belgium, where she was an international trade specialist for the Georgia Department of Agriculture. After living and working in Belgium, Meredith moved to Boston where she worked at Harvard University as the Director of Advancement and Planning at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and before that at the Women & Public Policy Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.  During her time there, she also served as an adviser to first-year students and as a member of the 28th Harvard presidential inauguration committee. Meredith also spent time as the Manager of Principal Gifts at the Center for Women & Enterprise, a New England non-profit that helps women start their own businesses.
In October 2007, Meredith returned to Hollins, where she works as the Vice President for External Relations, overseeing marketing, development and alumnae relations.

Joy Sparrowhawk '04
After graduation, Joy took a position with the French National Education System as an English assistant at junior high school in the Picardie region. The faculty at Hollins told her about the position. Many French majors from Hollins have accepted similar posts. Living in a small town instead of the capital and functioning as a professional in France provided the perfect complement to Joy's year as a student in the Hollins Abroad Paris program. After her teaching contract ended, Joy decided to remain in France and worked for an American travel company in Paris. The extensive travel she did during her junior year in Paris was instrumental in landing the position. During the peak season, she spent at least half her time on the road, mostly in southern France and northern Italy and Spain, with occasional trips into other Western European locations. She is currently working full time in Paris as a nanny and mother's helper.

Education

Allison Connolly '00
Allison has recently begun a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of French at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. In spring 2007, she completed a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her academic experiences at Hollins, both on campus and with the Hollins Abroad-Paris program, prepared her well for graduate studies. She has taught a variety of French courses at UNC-Chapel Hill and was the first graduate student to teach business French at the university, thanks to the year of business French she took at Hollins. In 2003, she was hired as an English lecturer at the University of Montpellier, where she taught courses in English and American Literature, business English, and English language. She received a Tanner Teaching Assistants' Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill, which recognizes excellence in the teaching of undergraduates by graduate teaching assistants.


Lisa Gray Algazi '86
Lisa's first job after her senior year was as an English assistant in a lycée in Aix-en-Provence, France. One of the two recipients of the Hollins French department teaching assistantships in 1986, Lisa was sent abroad to teach in a French high school. Lisa went to Paris on the Hollins yearlong program and later had the opportunity to do an internship in the French embassy in Washington, D.C. as one of her short term projects while at Hollins. While in France as an assistante, Lisa applied for and won a full four-year scholarship to Stanford University where she studied languages and linguistics for her masters degree. She was a doctoral student and teacher of French at Stanford University. Today, Lisa is a Professor of French at Hood College.

Heather Latiolais '05 is currently a Ph.D. student in Comparative Literature at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating from Hollins as a French and art history major, she entered the graduate program in Austin where she received her M.A. in May 2007. Her focus on 19^th-century literature and art led her to write her thesis, entitled, "Fashion Mania: Materialism, Naturalism, and Identity in Zola's Nana and Dreiser's Sister Carrie." The interdisciplinary approach of the French major at Hollins, incorporating literature, art, business, cultural studies, and other areas, helped cultivate Heather's wide range of interests appropriate to the pursuit of a degree in Comparative Literature. She currently works on French, English, and Italian literature, women's and gender studies, fashion, art and architecture, and popular culture. Her experience with Hollins Abroad-Paris was crucial in developing the French language skills necessary for the study of French literature. Equally, Heather's foreign language teaching internship at a Louisiana high school during Short Term of her senior year has helped prepare her for various teaching roles at the University of Texas and will continue to do so as she pursues her planned career as a professor at a liberal arts college.

Law & Government

Gwen Fernandez '06
"For me, choosing to be a French major was not a decision I made solely based on the desire to master a language, although that was one of my primary goals. The truth is that I have always loved French culture and society. Through literature, film, and yes, even pop music classes, the professors at Hollins taught me to thoughtfully consider and accurately articulate my views on the political, social and cultural landscape of the francophone world. The impact of those studies has been far reaching. Personally, I still sing to my favorite pop music songs while driving in my car and invite friends over to watch the latest French film I've rented. Occasionally, I'll even tackle a novel I bought while studying abroad in Paris. Professionally, my language skills and cultural awareness have come to my aid when interacting with French speaking visitors whether it be a tourist at our information desk or the French Ambassador on an official visit. Knowing a language is a valuable skill indeed!" Fernandez is currently Programs Assistant, Office of the Curator, Supreme Court of the United States.

Social Service

Erin Kathleen Pettigrew '03
At Hollins Erin studied both French and international studies. She spent her junior year in Paris through the Hollins Abroad program and for her senior honors thesis explored the Francophone literature and sociolinguistic conflict of Algeria. She joined the Peace Corps as soon as she graduated and, thanks to her linguistic preparation and academic interest in the Maghreb, was sent to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in 2003. In a country without enough educators to teach the compulsory English courses in both middle and high school, Erin's primary job was that of an English teacher for the secondary schools. She spoke Hassaniya, the country's Arabic dialect, and used her French on a daily basis and also when traveling throughout West Africa and the Maghreb. Erin completed her Peace Corps service in 2005. In the spring of 2008, she will complete a master's program in African studies at UCLA.