educo@wanadoo.fr

 "I participated in the EDUCO program the fall of 1996 and at the risk of sounding over-nostalgic, it was one of the best collegiate decisions I ever made. My semester there was replete with new peeps, red wine and French revelry of all sorts. Oh yeah, the academic end of the program also deserves praise -- the French classroom is a must-see and you'd be surprised how well you can get along in academia speaking French. Since my time there I've managed to go back to Paris to teach English for some time and I've kept in contact with all those Parisians that Frenchified my original EDUCO experience. Praise for the EDUCO team that made it all possible -- thanks."  Negin, Cornell, 1998

"J'ai beaucoup de bons souvenirs de mes études à EDUCO... et certainement je crois que ces mois-ci m'ont beaucoup influencée. J'ai quitté les Etats-Unis sans connaître un seul autre étudiant à Paris... j'avais peur de tout laisser, bien sûr, mais à la fois, je me suis rendue compte que c'était à moi de changer ma vie, au lieu d'attendre que les autres le fassent. Et EDUCO m'en a donné l'opportunité. Mes études avec EDUCO m'ont appris comment me rendre heureuse.

J'ai rencontré mes meilleures amies de ma vie à EDUCO [Negin et Kasel], avec qui je voyage toujours beaucoup. J'ai appris, petit à petit, non seulement à survivre à Paris, mais à y vivre -- de respecter les mœurs d'un pays étrange, d'apprendre une belle langue, et d'embrasser une culture plus riche qu'aucune autre que j'ai vue. Ca m'a donné la confiance en moi de faire tout ce que je désire avec ma vie.

En fait, quand j'ai décidé d'aller dans une école de médecine (pas du tout un choix facile, surtout avec mon amour du français), je voulais, avant de commencer, retourner à Paris pour un séjour. Negin et moi avons déménagé pendant l'été 1998 (l'été du Mondial), et nous avons travaillé à Paris pendant 3 1/2 mois. C'était, sans aucun doute, les mois les plus heureux de toute ma vie. Je suis allée à Paris 4 fois depuis que j'étais une étudiante à EDUCO, presque chaque année.

Maintenant, je suis en train de finir mes études de médecine à Baylor College of Medicine au Texas. En mai 2002 je recevrai mon diplôme, et en juin 2002 je commencerai mon année d'internat -- la première année de ma résidence. Je fais de la médecine générale, mais je me spécialiserai probablement en cardiologie." Charmaine, Duke, 1998

"The staff at Educo was one of the best parts of the program, Monique,Giulia and Valerie combine to make the office and outtings very fun and entertaining. Taking the modern art history class was a great opportunity because as a student of art history you are granted free entry into art museums and able to take advantage of the variety of art museums in Paris. While on the Educo program, I fell in love with Paris and I am now back working for three months and looking into ways I can stay here longer" Liz, Cornell, 2001

"My EDUCO experience in many ways provided an excellent preparation for my current job, as an English teaching assistant with a Fulbright grant at the Free University of Brussels.  Because EDUCO encouraged students to discover the ways and workings of Paris on their own, I learned to survive--and thrive--in a Francophone country. While we were encouraged to be independent, the staff also organized a number of activites that introduced us to new and different aspects of Paris and of French culture. One of these, the English tutoring program at the Lycée Jacques Decour, proved to be an great way to meet people, hear their opinions on a variety of issues, and learn more about the the French educational system and teaching in general. My EDUCO experience allowed me to get to know many people--including professors, students, and my host family--who have remained good friends and have been helpful advisors. The director of the tutoring program at the Lycée Jacques Decour even wrote one of the recommendations for my Fulbright application.  I also got to know one of the greatest cities and countries in the world, and I developed in interest in European languages, culture, and affairs that continues to influence my academic and career paths." Laura, Duke, 2001

"Qu'est ce que je peux dire?...I didn't want to leave Paris. Every person, every class, and every place I visited changed my outlook on the world around me. Never in my life will I be surrounded by an international community of students with such different lives and ideas to share. Since my year at Educo and at the International Program of Sciences-Po, I have tried to hold on to my experience abroad. I graduated from Cornell in May 2001 and have since returned to France for this school year as an English language assistant in French high school. At this exact moment in time, I'm applying to graduate school to do a PhD in Comparative Politics in the European region. My studies in Paris were so refreshing and exciting, and it's without a doubt the reason why I'm applying to PhD programs in the field of European politics. I feel like Paris is my home now, and being here was the first time that I felt truly relaxed and "à l'aise". I returned this year partially because I wanted time off from school stuff and also because I wanted to regain some perspective on what I want to do and where I want to be in the next few years... and being in France allows me the luxury to think and take my time, whereas in the States I'm constantly bombarded with questions about the future. The French indulge in the "présent", and this is precisely what I need right now." Rebecca Chen - Cornell/Sciences-Po 1999-2000

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