Alumni Interview with Gemma Gonzalez

What inspired you to go abroad? 

I began to develop an interest in Paris, France when I started learning French a few years before studying abroad. I spoke an advanced level of the language and was quite familiar with the culture, but did not have the chance to apply those skills outside of school. Thus, going to Paris allowed me to put into practice my French-speaking skills and further expand my knowledge of the French culture.

Why did you choose to study abroad with CEA in Paris, France?

The program that I chose to study abroad with was a faculty-led internship program that my university offers every summer in Paris, France. Since I was double majoring in Applied Psychology and in French and Francophone Studies, this internship program was the perfect opportunity for me. It combined my love for the French language and culture with my passion for helping others.

I interned at a social services organization that offered services to homeless people. Among some of the things I did at my internship, I had the opportunity to shadow a psychologist, and interpret between the homeless visitors and the staff members from English or Spanish into French. 

What was your favorite part about Paris?

There are a ton of things that I love about Paris, from the food, to the public transportation, and the way of living. My favorite place was Hotel de Ville, which is Paris's City Hall and is located steps away from the CEA Center where I had my classes. I fell in love with this magnificent building. Its beauty, both on the outside and the inside, makes me think of it as a mini Palace of Versailles. It even has a Hall of Mirrors, though not as big as the one in Versailles.

What made your experience abroad unique?

Doing an internship in Paris made me feel like I was just another local going to work. I worked with professionals in my field of study who were all very supportive. It was very interesting and rewarding to work with homeless people. At the same time, it felt like I was giving back a little to Paris with my work through my internship.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

The CEA staff was very welcoming. I mentioned before that my program was a faculty-led one. In my case, a professor from my university came to Paris with my classmates and I to lead the program and have class with us. We held class at the CEA Center, where we were provided with all of the necessary equipment.

The staff members were very friendly and helpful. They responded quickly to when my classmates and I had problems with our shower. And they would also tell us about cool events going on in the city. 

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

There were times when my classmates invited me to go out to places after our internship but I would say no because of how tired I felt. Now that I look back, I wish I would have gone even though I was tired. I still did and saw many things in Paris, but it is never enough.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

What I would do each day varied during the week. So a typical week, instead of a typical day, would be to have class on Mondays, and go to my internship on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Fridays my group and I would go visit other social service agencies to learn more about them. After those visits we would do some sort of cultural activity organized by CEA, such as going to a museum. We would also go out to places out on the weekends, or sometimes we would stay at home to relax and do homework.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

During my free time I would do a little of everything. I would work on homework or hang out with my classmates and watch movies with them. I would also go out either with them or alone to just explore the city. One of my favorite memories was go to the carnival at Tuileries Garden with my classmates.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

Our accommodations were amazing!! Somehow CEA managed to have all of us (nine students in total) live together in two apartments within the same apartment building. Not only that, but my apartment also had a view of the Eiffel Tower!!

The apartments came with everything we needed from mops and a washing machine, to a pizza cutter and rice cooker. The CEA Center also had things like fans, hair straighteners, and extra forks that we could request if we needed them. I really liked it how all of my classmates and I lived together because it allowed us to bond and become like a little family! 

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program? 

Unfortunately, my specific internship program is available only to students at my university. However, using CEA to take care of our logistics, such as housing and health insurance, allowed me to see that CEA truly cares about its students. They certainly go out of their way to provide their students with a great experience in their host city because I am sure that it is very hard to find housing with a view of a famous monument.

They also housed us all in the same location because they are aware that studying abroad can get hard sometimes when you start missing your family. And in my case, it was nice to have my peers by my side to support me during those times (and the staff was just as supportive). 

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?

Going abroad made me realize that I can take my career to the international level. It also made me more open to try new experiences, as well as more respectful and accepting of cultural differences. 

Would you recommend CEA to others? Why?

I would definitely recommend CEA because like I mentioned before, they care about their students. I also really liked the CEA tour guides that came with us to the museums, especially Agathe, who came with us to Versailles. She was funny and tried to engage us in her descriptions of the place.