Alumni
'A world of opportunity'
Former Mizuno intern Andy Nimmer, '01, spent the summer of 1998 working for Mizuno Sports in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. By drafting reports and proposals in Japanese and creating displays for exhibitions and trade shows, he learned how another culture conducts business. During his junior year, Mr. Nimmer studied abroad at Tokyo Gakugei University.
After graduating with a degree in Japanese, he worked as a Customer Service Representative for Japan Airlines at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Today, Mr. Nimmer works as a Senior Consultant for SoftSource K.K. in Japan where his role is developing client partners and sourcing for companies whose products and solutions are delivered via the Internet.
"Not everything you learn comes from the textbook. Most of what you learn comes from your experience and encounters along the way. The whole college experience is a learning process. Open yourself up to the world of opportunity."
'Back in the country I fell in love with'
“After many years of saying I would never be a teacher, I currently find myself teaching English in a public elementary school in Malaga, Spain. My days consist of assisting English and bilingual science classes, collaborating on language exchanges and projects, and being a representative of my country and culture to 250 Spanish children.
"Teaching in Malaga has afforded me the opportunity to be back in the country I fell in love with two years ago. The people I call friends are from all over the world and from very different walks of life, yet we all come together easily as if we’ve been friends forever.
"My first experience 'on my own' is nothing I would trade. I have gotten to know Spain, Europe, new foods, cultures and experiences, and most importantly, I have gotten to know who I am as a young adult living and working in Spain."
— Corey Schuster, ’08; Psychology major, Spanish minor
'A breathtaking new adventure'
"While French majors are certainly not the largest crowd on campus, I found them all to be thoughtful, passionate people who loved the language and culture as much as I did. The courses open your eyes to not only France but the French-speaking world.
move across the world."
While you learn the language, you are also learning grammar, art, literature, government, history and bits of knowledge that propel the daily lives of native speakers. The wonderful thing about being a French major is that you learn so much about so many things.
"Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of being a French major is also one of the greatest joys: getting up the courage to leave your family and friends for a semester or two and move across the world. The first few days I spent abroad were the hardest; each day afterward was a breathtaking new adventure.
"College is the ideal time to explore the world and absorb new cultures; being a French major helped me to do so, while also attending a European University and making new friends from all over the globe. The experience absolutely changed my life."
— Emily Van Eynde, '06
'Real-world application?'
"I never really thought I would ever be a French major. When I first came to Carthage, I never really thought I would even be a minor, honestly! It all just kind of happened and fell into place as I began to fall in love with the language more and more, and my professors encouraged me to continue on with my studies. I could not easily see a 'real-world' application at first glance for having a degree relating to French, so I initially pushed the thought away.
"I know it is probably a bit cliché, but studying abroad in France is definitely the best thing that has ever happened so far in my life. It helped me gain an enormous amount of independence, continue to expand and shape my worldview, and improved my French skills greatly in a way that simply cannot be achieved sitting in a classroom. This is not to say that I have not benefited from my classroom experiences at Carthage, because I certainly have. When I stop and think how far I have come since entering Carthage with a decent but minimal background in French, it is quite impressive.
"Being a French major has helped me in more ways than I think people would normally foresee. Studying another language certainly makes one pay closer attention to one's own native language, in terms of grammar and etymology, but especially vocabulary. I recently took the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and in studying English vocabulary words, I had two sets of languages (which share many common roots) to pool from in helping me guess on words I did not know.
"Being a French major has also helped me understand many historical and political concepts better, as we often integrate these subjects in French courses. Learning a little bit about many francophone countries has helped me understand many issues in current events better. People are often confused when I say I am a French and Psychology major. They wonder why I am doing it and some people will never really understand. The transferable skills gained through majoring in a modern language and the opportunities it lends to are not always easy to see, but they are there."
— Michelle Anderson, '09
'A dream come true'
"My perceptions and ideas about being a French major most definitely changed throughout my four years at Carthage. I thought it was possible to learn everything and anything pertaining to French during my undergraduate career. Boy, was I wrong. However, what I did learn and the experience I gained was much more enriching.
"Specializing in a foreign language is anything but easy, and the French professors never let that be forgotten by presenting challenges that transcend the classroom. The papers, presentations and final exams are just the applications of what a French student absorbs, embraces and becomes. The semester abroad is one of the defining moments for the French major that could not be duplicated in any course or homework assignment. The feat of re-establishing a life in a foreign country is one that every Carthage student should experience.
"For me, my French studies renewed in me the drive to return some day and pursue a career in France. With the generous assistance and endless encouragement from Pascal Rollet and Marian Rothstein, I was able to make that dream come true. The ability to read, write, speak and live in French has allowed me the opportunity to serve a French Government English Assistant through the Fulbright Program, an unforgettable experience. Furthermore, my love for languages, nurtured and encouraged by the Modern Language Department, will hopefully lead me to pursuing my Masters Degree in International Relations. Being a French major is so much more than the proficiency exam, senior thesis, or required courses, it is the chance to discover more about yourself through a different lens."
— Stephanie Coulis, '08
'Well-prepared to face challenges'
"When I decided to major in French, one of the first things I wondered was 'How will I be able to use my French major upon graduation?' As I began to explore the many opportunities that are available to someone with a French degree, I came upon the conclusion: What better way is there to share my love of the French language and culture than through education?
"Currently a first-year French teacher at a middle school in Kenosha, I am thankful for all of my experiences in the French program at Carthage. My French studies have left me feeling well-prepared to face the challenges that teaching a world language can present in the classroom. Using many of the techniques and strategies I was taught to employ, as well as offering a communicative approach to language learning in my own classroom, I have found success and much joy in the early stages of my career as a French educator."
— Nate Cook, '07
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