Major and Minor: French, Nutritional Sciences
Writing an honors thesis is an incredible opportunity to learn more about a specific topic that you may be curious about. I chose to write my thesis on the decline of French dairy farms as a result of large corporation competition, lack of governmental protection, lack of interest in the field and, consumer behaviors. While participating in the Microbiology and Culture of Cheese and Wine course in Cluny through Rutgers I was able to visit multiple dairy farms and producers. I left the programming having a profound amount of respect for the family farms but wondered why their products were not the ones I saw when grocery shopping in France. Thanks to my participation in the honors thesis program I was able to not only understand how the dairy industry works in France, but how it can also be applied in the US. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to study under Madame Tamas and will now be able to include on my resume my honors achievement! I initially chose to study French cultural studies at Rutgers University because I did not want to lose what I already learned from High School. French was a new way for me to express myself and helped me to feel more attached to foreign cultures. After taking several courses and deciding on studying abroad during my sophomore year in Paris, I decided to major in French. The courses I have completed have allowed me to study many different areas of French from literature, to grammar, to business! The classes I took prior to my semester abroad prepared me to study alongside French students at La Sorbonne Nouvelle and truly put my language skills to the challenge. Without my professors and classes, I would not have been able to appreciate France as much as I did. Being able to travel abroad and speak with locals, and go shopping like a native is something everyone should experience. My other major is in nutritional sciences with a concentration in food service administration. I hope to work with Sodexo at an American company for the near future but eventually get matched with a Sodexo company in France and settle there. Getting a degree in French has opened more doors for me. It is important to remember that there is more to the world than the US, by studying another language you are allowing yourself to more opportunities abroad!
