- PROFILES OF FRENCH GRADUATES
Read how these graduates of VU's French program have gone on to use their French skills in the workplace and beyond.
Carrie Parrott Monahan earned a B.A. in French and International Economics & Cultural Affairs in May 2000. Upon graduation, she worked as a Senior Investigator at the Chicago Board of Trade for a few years, after which she headed to Morocco as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Carrie will soon obtain her Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and begin a new job as a Program Analyst, Africa Unit of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
"As a freshman at Valpo, I started out as a Communications major but quickly realized that I wanted to study something more in line with my love for foreign languages and travel. The French/IECA program was a perfect fit for me. I was able to study French intensively while gaining an interdisciplinary perspective about Europe and foreign affairs, complemented by a semester of French study at La Sorbonne University in Paris. Throughout my coursework, I also became interested in developing countries, particularly French-speaking Africa, an interest which has ultimately led to a career in international development and many exciting adventures overseas!..."
Melissa Brown earned a B.A. in French and Communication in May 1992. She went on to earn an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and also served in Nigeria as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development. The ever-growing responsibilities of her career, which have included assignments with the U.S. Department of State, have taken her throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, Kosovo, Haiti, Europe, and Japan. Today Melissa works as a senior policy analyst with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Read more about Melissa and her family in "Valpo Features."