Student Voices

Jesse Daniel, '12

Meet Jesse

"All the Carthage professors have been so helpful and are such an interesting group of faculty. They're probably my favorite part about Carthage."

Hometown: Madison, Wis.

Major: French

Like many foreign language majors, Jesse Daniel's love of French and languages started early. She has taken classes in four different languages: French, Spanish, and Chinese and Japanese classes at Carthage. But she initially chose French over Spanish in seventh grade because she wanted to do something different.

Her two favorite components of the French program at Carthage are her professors and the study abroad requirement.

"The professors all have such a passion for the language, and teaching, which is especially important in a department that does not have a large number of majors and minors," Jesse said. "All the Carthage professors have been so helpful and are such an interesting group of faculty. They're probably my favorite part about Carthage."

Jesse spent her semester abroad in Cannes, France, during Spring 2011. While she was there, she had the opportunity through her program, AIFS College International de Cannes, to attend the Cannes Film Festival and volunteer for the amFAR Cinema Against AIDS benefit gala.

"We put together gift bags for the guests, and attended the dinner to help out with the auction, and were allowed to attend the after party," she said. "The gala raised over $10,000,000 this year, and it was an honor to be part of such a prestigious and important event."

"I never realized how many doors are opened through studying abroad," she continued. "Living in another culture, you become part of it, and are no longer a tourist. A lot of independence is gained because you have to communicate with others in a different language. During my free time, I did a lot of traveling. I visited Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. It was awesome to be able to go to many places that I had always wanted to visit in a short amount of time."

Jesse also traveled with Carthage during her sophomore year on a J-Term trip to India. A fan of Bollywood musicals, she describes her time in India as "eye-opening," and has plans to teach English there after graduation. She enjoyed getting to try new foods and be a part of a culture so different from the United States.

Her favorite part of the trip was visiting the Golden Temple. "It was mid-morning when we went, and we just went up to the roof of it and sat in the sun, listening to the religious music. It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful experiences of my life."

Although Jesse never regrets her decision to major in French, she sometimes wishes that she had double-majored. She knows that teaching is not a long-term goal for herself, though she hopes to use her language skills in her future career, whatever it may be.

"I highly recommend double majoring. I did not and wish I had because you'll have many more opportunities in the job world," she said. "I don’t know where this major will lead me, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the ride."

Favorite professor: "Pascal Rollet, because his passion for teaching and his country comes alive in his classroom. He loves bringing variety in to his teaching style, so class is never dull."

Favorite class: "My favorite class was actually Heritage freshman year. I had an amazing professor who improved my writing skills more in one semester than in any of my years in English classes."

Toughest class: "Math and science because they are far from my strong suits."

Favorite moments at Carthage: "Homecoming. It's awesome getting to see everyone on campus come together and participate, and it's really cool to see how active the alumni are in Carthage's future."

Favorite spot on campus: "Down by the lake, and the basement of the Hedberg Library."

— Elizabeth Reinhardt, '12

Student Voices

Chinese

Jessica Fisher, '13

"I knew that if I knew Chinese, I would have a better chance of getting jobs because it is such a worldwide language."
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Vanessa Valentine, '13

"The biggest surprise to me is how much I have learned — not only academically, but also personally. I am a better person now than I was two years ago."
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John Gutt-Jankowski, '14

By studying both Chinese and Spanish, John said that when he graduates, he will have learned three of the most important languages in the world.
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Valerie Hathaway, '13

"The Chinese program is filled with professors who enjoy teaching their students the language."
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French

Jesse Daniel, '12

"I never realized how many doors are opened through studying abroad. Living in another culture, you become part of it, and are no longer a tourist."
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Emily Kolesar, '12

By studying both French and English, Emily has been able to mature as a writer.
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Diane Hahn, '14

"The Modern Language Department truly has made my learning experience an enjoyable one, and I can't image going to any other college because I'm afraid I'll be disappointed in this aspect."
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German

Anna Treudt, '13

"Both in German and archaeology the willingness to learn is what separates you from the others. That might sound uninteresting and a little daunting, but when you find something you like, you enjoy it."
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Karin Wirth, '13

Karin Wirth was raised with a rich German Heritage, which led to her love of the language. She is also a DAAD scholarship winner and a tutor for the Modern Languages department.
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David Rosenberg, '12

"The openness of the professors and their willingness to help struggling students" are among the Modern Language Department's biggest strengths.
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Ronald Harris, '12

Ronald is pursuing a minor in German, after studying the language since kindergarten.
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Japanese

Jennifer Weiss, '14

"Our businesses are becoming more global by the day, and Japan is one of the top countries America does business with. I want to be as prepared as possible when it comes to doing business with Japan."
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Spanish

Elizabeth Reinhardt, '12

"It's difficult to really learn a language if you don't actually use it. Studying abroad is the only way to really immerse yourself in it entirely."
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Andrea Winbigler, '13

"Carthage really became my second home and all the people here have become my second family."
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Samantha Jasinski, '13

"Traveling is my passion in life, and with this school I got the opportunity to not only travel once in college, but multiple times without falling behind in any of my classes."
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Read student voices from graduated students.