French Alumni Newsletter 2023

FRENCH ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Students on Calvin’s first May in France program pictured here in the Musée Rodin gardens in Paris.

FALL 2023

IN THIS NEWSLETTER: May in France, May 2023

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Study in France, Fall 2022

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M odel United Nations in Grenoble, 2023

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Graduates, Spring 2023

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TAPIF

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2023 Editor

Alumni Updates

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Jolene Vos-Camy

Faculty Updates

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FALL 2019

MAY IN FRANCE 2023

Fourteen students traveled with Professor Jolene Vos-Camy to France for a three-week culture and language-learning trip. The group began with five days in Paris, visiting historic sites like the Sainte Chapelle, the Musée d’Orsay, Versailles, and the Catacombes.

The group then took the TGV south to Marseille where students took French classes at the local Alliance française and lived with host families for two weeks. Students enjoyed exploring Marseille, visiting the Château d’If, and traveling to the near-by towns of Aix-en-Provence and Arles.

This was the inaugural May in France trip in the new Calvin academic calendar where the old

January interim-type trips have moved to May.

Phoebe Hoag

The May in France program provided me with the opportunity to see so much of what France has to offer, push me out of my linguistic comfort zone, and experience a culture through the eyes of a local host family. When reflecting on my time in France, so many things come to mind, but there are a few in particular that stand out.

Some highlights of my experience in France were the excursions we took as a group. In addition to guided site tours, we also visited charming and smaller cities near Marseille, where we explored historic 2

attractions and got lost in magical and winding streets. Living with a host family was also a highlight, while communication at times was a challenge. Being able to use what I had learned in class in conversations with my host parents was extremely rewarding, and allowed me to connect with them through conversations about our cultures. It was interesting to hear about current events from their perspectives, and how they viewed France’s tendency to protest as an indication of the passion of their people. These experiences, among others, continue to cross my mind, making me want to travel back to France as soon as possible.

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Paige Miner

My trip with Calvin this May was my opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine, and it did just that. My experience in France not only fulfilled, but exceeded my expectations of what traveling to France would be like. Not only were we able to see important monuments in Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs of Paris, we were also able to learn valuable life skills such as navigating public transport and being respectful of cultural norms different from our own.

Marseille brought on a whole new set of experiences, including living with a host family and having the opportunity to take French classes.

Our afternoons were filled with museums, hiking at Calanques National Park, and walking around Vieux Port with our new friends in the program. We also were able to travel out of Marseille to visit the towns of Aix and Arles, allowing us to get a more holistic vision of the region of Provence. Professor Vos-Camy throughout the trip had everything organized for us in a magnificent fashion that resulted in minimal stress for us students and created a safe and fun trip with memories that will never be forgotten.

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FALL 2019

STUDY IN FRANCE FALL 2022

After a delay in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, the Semester in France program returned in full force in Fall 2022, with nineteen students signing up to study in France for the semester.

The semester’s structure remained the same as in previous years: students were enrolled at the Centre universitaire d’études françaises (CUEF) of the Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) and they lived with with French host families in the Grenoble area. Professor Otto Selles taught courses on French culture (FREN 330) and the literature and culture of North Africa (FREN 363).

He also took the group on outings

in Grenoble and on longer day and weekend excursions (Lyon, Paris, La Mure, Alpe d’Huez). For the first time in many years, the program also included beginner and intermediate students who took intensive French classes, four hours a day, five days a week.

All the students in the group made great progress in their French. They also travelled widely in France on their own and built strong relationships with their host parents.

The semester abroad program is scheduled to run again fall 2024 with Jolene Vos-Camy returning as director.

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Avery Andersen, 2024

My semester in Grenoble was terrific. The family I stayed with played an enormous role in making my study abroad experience so memorable. My host parents, Dominique and Claude Gandon, truly opened their home to me. It was my conversations with them that made the deepest impact on my French-speaking improvement.

To those future students who worry about the language barrier between themselves and their host: I say embrace it! Challenging myself at home helped tremendously.

I loved just exploring Grenoble.

I often went for aimless walks

FALL 2019

throughout the city. Like many of us, I was especially enamored by the Bastille – the large 19th-century fort overlooking the city. As a visual artist, exploring went hand-in-hand with photography and sketching. Whenever I traveled, hiked, or sat at a café, I always carried a camera and sketchbook.

At the university, I was in intensivelanguage courses and rose from level A2 to B1 over the semester. I felt lucky to spend the entire of my class time focusing solely on language.

Professor Selles organized many awesome excursions during the semester. From visiting a monk-run distillery to skiing in the French Alpes, it was nice to set aside the solotraveler mindset every once in a while and leave it to the professional.

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Thanks to the support of President Wiebe Boer, the French section of World Languages brought a group of eight students to participate in a Model UN (MUN) conference in Grenoble on June 16-17, 2023. The event was held at the Grenoble art museum and at the Institution Charmilles, a private Catholic school located near the university. (Hence the name “CHARMUN” displayed in the pictures.)

At the conference, Calvin students formed teams representing a country, with a French major or minor in each pair: Kendy DeHaan and Misgana Dinberu (New Zealand), Justus Young and Garrett Mowry (Germany), Ethan Meyers and Joe Toly (Belgium) Taheer Alibhai and Isaiah TenHuisen (Switzerland). During the opening ceremony, Kendy and Ethan presented

MODEL UNITED NATIONS IN GRENOBLE, FRANCE their position papers in French to the entire audience. That day, the entire team began “informal debates” on resolutions regarding cybersecurity, protection of the oceans, or women’s rights. During the second day of the conference, students participated in “formal debates”—with the goal of convincing the assembly to pass their resolutions. The students gained exposure to high-level multilingual discussions and the UN debate process. This event had a special focus on Ukraine, with a group of Ukrainian students participating in the debates.

It was moving to hear these students

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talk about the war’s impact on their country and families.

For the day before and the day after the conference, the Calvin group enjoyed touring Grenoble, Vizille, and Annecy with Professor Selles. During that time, they got to try different treats and specialties ranging from croissants to Savoyard dishes, and even some Chartreuse!

The event was a great success. Calvin has already been invited to attend the next MUN event in Nice in June 2024.

Garrett Mowry, 2026

This summer, thanks to Professors Vos-Camy and Selles, I had an amazing seven weeks in France. I visited Paris and studied French at Alliance Française in Marseille during the first half and participated along with seven other Calvin students in a Model United Nations (MUN) held in Grenoble during my last week in France.

I had always wanted to study abroad.

In fact, it was one of my criteria in choosing a college.

Professor Vos-Camy encouraged me to pursue the trip she was leading for the May term in France. Around the time I was awarded a scholarship for the May term, the World Languages Department informed all of the French majors and minors like myself, that they would be sponsoring a unique opportunity for a limited number of students to participate in a Model United Nations held in France. Being an International Relations major, I jumped at the chance to apply and was selected as a team member!

Since there would be a gap of 3.5 weeks between the two programs, Professor Vos-Camy suggested that I speak to Professor Selles to try to find a way to stay in France. Though we had only met briefly during my interview for the MUN, Professor Selles was eager to help. He reached out to his French contacts and was able to arrange housing and an

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experience for me at a French school as a volunteer at the very school that was responsible for hosting the MUN. I taught classes in French and English. Almost everyone I met was involved in hosting the MUN. I am convinced I could not have gotten a better study abroad experience, especially as a freshman, at any of the schools that I seriously considered going to over Calvin and I am grateful for the opportunities that Calvin provided me.

Taheer Alibhai

Thanks to Professor Selles, the World Language Department, and the President’s Office, I was able to attend the CHARMUN 23 Conference in Grenoble, France. While not the typical Model UN conference I am used to, I am glad that I was provided the opportunity to contribute on behalf of Calvin representing Switzerland.

Together with my co-delegate, Isaiah TenHuisen, we were able to unanimously pass our resolution tackling improvements in Gateway - a project structured by Interpol working on cybersecurity. We were also awarded the most eloquent speakers in our committee.

It was an honor to go back and re-visit Grenoble, the city where I did a French study aboard in the Fall of 2022. I would say that it’s more for this reason I was keen to assist Professor Selles in the planning and implementation of this project. That and my love for Model UN. Having done Model UN for more than 8 years, I was happy to lend my knowledge and training to all those who went this summer as well as keep track of all budgeting procedures.

Getting to use the basic level French I know as well as interact with other students from around France was spectacular. It was also fantastic to stay a few extra days and get to visit Paris, Chamonix and Annecy.

It brings me great joy to have been part of this team and I’m even more ecstatic that Calvin has been invited next year.

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GRADUATES SPRING 2023 Congratulations to Adelyn Roush and Kathryn Schwegler who were awareded the Outstanding Senior Award, and to all our graduating majors and minors!

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FALL 2019

Grads Abroad with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) 1

Emily Bass, 2020

I graduated in 2020 with a bachelors in French and spent about 2 years in the work force before applying to the TAPIF program! In May 2022, I taught a beginner French class for the GR Alliance Française and left for France later that fall. From September 2022 to May 2023, I was posted in Nogentsur-Oise as a primary school assistant!

I lived in Compiègne and took the train 40 minutes each day. I taught 21 classes and saw almost 400 students each week, CP through CM2 (1st grade - 5th grade). I was assigned to only the one school as it was so large, and I was the only language assistant this year, although they hope to add Spanish and German assistants soon!

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It truly was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, I miss them immensely. My colleagues were so nice and the children were the sweetest. I miss teaching them and interacting with the community in Nogent.

This fall, I’ll be moving to Chicago and matriculating into DePaul University’s Diplomacy program. I’m very excited to be continuing my education in an area I’m passionate about!

Photo 1: Emily with some of her students.

Photo 2: Emily (back, center) with her teachers.

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FALL 2019

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Christina Romano, 2022

I am incredibly grateful to have participated in the TAPIF program this past year. Through TAPIF, I was able to realize my dreams of living in France longer-term and of regularly using and improving my French. I was placed in Rodez, in the Toulouse académie, where I assisted in two écoles primaires and three écoles maternelles.

Though the maîtresses were a bit shy to speak in English with me, they were still very kind and helpful.

They invited me to go on field trips to explore our city and region with them and gave me recommendations of nearby towns and sights to see. My roommates’ teachers were welcoming as well, as all four of us assistants were invited to their houses for dinners (including my first ever raclette!) and for outings like local hikes.

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I loved assisting and being able to share my language and culture with the children in primaire. It was more difficult to get the kids in maternelle to speak, but it was still fun sharing nursery rhymes and classic stories like The Very Hungry Caterpillar with them. By the end of my time there, I could see that both the teachers and the students were more comfortable with hearing and speaking English, which was rewarding.

I had such an enjoyable experience in Rodez that I reapplied to assist in the 2023–2024 school year. This year, I will be living in Nice and assisting at the primaire level in a village called Touët-sur-Var, which has never had a language assistant. I am very excited to return to France! I am most of all grateful for God’s protection and direction throughout this year and pray for continued guidance as I head to Nice.

Photo 1: Une classe de grande section.

Photo 2: La cathédrale de Rodez avec une manifestation, bien entendu !

Photo 3. La vue depuis le balcon de mon appartement à Rodez, où l’on peut voir de beaux couchers de soleil.

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ALUMNI UPDATES Art Schaafsma, 1964 I mainly chose it as a minor because I liked the sound of French and still do. I’ve put it to minor use in visits to Haiti and Burundi. I never quite made it to France but have been close in Freiburg, Germany on a visit to a granddaughter, a Linguistics major.

I have a French course here at home waiting but don’t get to it. Retirement is busier than I thought it would be.

One of these days I hope to get to it.

Merci, Art 1

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Bert Block, 1965 I took French because I needed a foreign language at Calvin. I really enjoyed the experience as it opened a whole new world for me. God used this experience when I became a missionary to Mexico. Three years of French study really helped me later to learn Spanish. I stayed in missions all my life, Mexico and Romania later having to learb Romanian. I learned Spanish well enough to be able to translate Great Bible Truths into Spanish. Thanks to Professor Otten who guided me through the first weeks of beginning French and who I thought was the best professor I ever had. He gave us all a love of French and France thereby opening our world beyond Dutch Grand Rapids. God used that in me to follow His leading into the ministry. To God be the glory!

-Bert Block, Redlands, California

Jean Groenenberg, 1975 Bonjour de Granby, Québec, aux anciens élèves du département de français:

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Cette semaine est décédée Denise Bombardier, reconnue depuis les décennies comme une femme qui explique clairement son point de vue, et aussi pour son dévouement envers la langue française.

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Mon mari, et les journalistes, m’ont fait penser à une rencontre avec des célèbres auteurs francais où Mme Bombardier a dénoncé la pédophilie des ces auteurs célèbres [l’émission Apostrophes de l’animateur français Bernard Pivot en mars 1990].

Bonne continuation à vous tous, dans les voies du Seigner.

–Jean Groenenberg

Christine Zwygers Troianello, 1977 1

I loved culture and languages and to this day work with many people around the world including a team in France who are part of my global team. The company I work for, IQVIA, acquired a very large French company called Cegedim some time ago. For this reason, we have a very large presence in France and I have been there on business frequently. Of course they all want to speak English when I am there - and they are quite good at it, so they do not give me much opportunity to practice my French.

Photo: Christine in Paris.

Geraldine Selles Ysselstein, 1979 2

I graduated with a BA in French and Art. Both degrees have served me well.

My mother, G. Selles, was a French teacher at Hamilton District Christian High, Ontario and her enthusiasm for language learning influenced my career path. My husband Pieter (‘79) and I run Birchtree Gallery in Victoria, Prince Edward. I am happy to be able to speak French with visitors from around the world.

Photo: Geraldine with her oil paintings: “Tidal Pools” (top) and “Dusk on Northumberland Strait.”

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Catherine Ristola Bass, 1989

Fellow French majors Catherine Ristola Bass ‘89 and Misty S Thakur ‘87 met up while they were both in Melbourne, Australia in May, 2023.

They last saw each other in 1987!

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Scott Vandenberg, 1994

Salutations de Lynden, WA! I was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) and had French classes from Grade 4-12.

This exempted me out of having to take a second language when I came to Calvin. In my Sophomore year, I was walking through the upstairs of Hiemenga Hall – about to snag a friend to go for lunch when I walked by one of the classes…I could understand everything they were saying in French. They were dismissing and I asked the prof – what level French was this…and it was Intermediate! So, I decided to “enhance” my Elementary Education degree with a French minor.

I enjoyed my classes at Calvin, took a fluency course at a local university when I returned home, and took a job teaching French at a small Christian school in Terrace, B.C. (3 hours drive south of the Alaskan panhandle). I was able to teach Grade 1–4 and loved it!

Photo: Scott with a book.

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James Stout, 1995

Monsieur Wilkins was the reason I minored in French. He was a fantastic professor. I learned a lot from him and was inspired to be a better student. I also had the good fortune of having a roommate who was also interested in French named Pete VandenKieboom.

Pete and I took a lot of the same classes and studied together. I have a lot of fond memories of studying French vocabulary words with Pete.

I remember having an epiphany of sorts while studying with Pete. You see, I had always been a pretty good student, but never really put the effort in to be a very good student. One time when Pete and I were studying for a test in Monsieur Wilkins class using flash cards with at least forty or fifty words, I told Pete I felt good and was ready to stop studying. Pete looked at me with an arched eyebrow and said, “Really, James? If that’s so, then I should be able to go through this whole pile of words--both English-to-French and French-to-English--without you missing a single one. I said, “I think I know enough of them to do alright

tomorrow.” Pete said, “But wouldn’t you rather go into the class knowing you’re going to ace it?” I thought about it for a minute and then nodded. “Ok,” I said, “let’s get back to studying.” From there, I went to Angers and studied at L’Université Catholique de L’Ouest and made some really good friends along the way. I thought about staying at Calvin for one more semester and getting a French Major, but in the end decided I couldn’t afford it. So, I took my English Major and French Minor and found a job in sales. I did that for awhile until I met my wife. We moved to North Carolina, where I found a teaching job. I’ve been a teacher ever since. I currently teach 7th Grade ELA in Apex, NC at a wonderful school called Salem Middle School.

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Thanks for asking about my story!

Photo 1: Here I am with Pierre Capretz, creator of French in Action and professor at Yale. Kyle Farley is on the other end.

Photo 2: That’s Pete, Me, and Kyle Farley (1995) in front and my father, Dr. Harry S. Stout (1969), who received Calvin’s Alumni of the Year in 1997.

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Photo 3: Here’s Harvey Kincaid (1995), Pete (1996), and Susan Van Beek Stout (1970) Photo 4: Here I am with Jim Wilkins, my favorite professor.

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Stephanie Hogendoorn Stewart, 2006 6

Married 7 years in August, living in Carmel, NY with two children—Neil, 3-1/2 and Lucy, and 10 months. Still a chemist in the lab, a new job as of 2 years ago at a very family friendly company.

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Carina Kooiman, 2009

After living for many years in Pittsburgh, my husband and I recently moved across the country and are now living in Portland, OR. I worked for many years as an arts administrator and educator in the nonprofit world of museums, but decided to look at our cross-country move as a chance to try something new. Since graduating, I’ve worked as a ceramic artist on the side, but now I’m excited to be shifting toward art-making full time. I have a small little studio which is adjacent to a community studio where I will soon be teaching. I’m looking forward to making mugs and building a business and community in a new place. I don’t get the opportunity to use my French often except when I travel, though it is certainly helping me learn Spanish!

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I am grateful to be where I am today. I have had the opportunity to teach French at Purdue University, which has proven to be one of the great joys of my life. After a few years in Purdue’s French program, I transferred to the English PhD program as an Arthurian studies major with a focus on the legend’s Welsh roots. This fall, I’ll be leaving for a yearlong master’s degree in Arthurian studies at Bangor University, North Wales—a dream that seemed out of reach for so long.

But the greatest joy has been meeting my best friend, fiancé, and soon-to-be husband. Spending time with Juan in his native Argentina, learning the language, and meeting his family and friends has confirmed it for me: my decision to pursue a French major was a bit starry-eyed, but it has prepared me for a life of wonder.

Photo: Juan and I together in the streets of Buenos Aires after Argentina won the World Cup last year. (Désolé les Bleus!)

Joel Robert Meredith, 2010

I decided to study French because I wanted to escape my hometown, and learning another language seemed like it might help. Ironically, I’m writing this from my parents’ home in suburban Grand Rapids.

My journey since graduation included spending far more time in Indiana than I ever planned or wanted to and a painful separation and divorce from a person I loved deeply—but shouldn’t have married.

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Rebekah Van Dyk, 2011

Hello! After graduating from Calvin in 2011 with an elementary education degree and minors in English and French, I moved to Paris for one year 1 as part of the TAPIF program, during which I taught English to elementary school students. One year abroad turned out to not be enough; I then moved for two years to Casablanca, Morocco… and finally back to Paris in 2015, where I’ve been ever since!

Since completing my master’s degree in Paris, I’ve held a variety of jobs, including teacher, translator, and communications associate; my main reason for staying in Paris isn’t my work, but the simple fact that I love life here! I love all that Paris offers in terms of the arts and culture, and I’ve greatly enjoyed getting to travel throughout France and Europe over the past eleven years. I’m grateful to the French program at Calvin for providing me with a love of the French language and the ability to move to and establish myself in a new country, where I’ve made lifelong friends, met my French partner, and adopted our pocket-sized dog (hiding, in the picture, in his favorite spot on our balcony).

University in Rochester Hills.

Although my primary role is working with prospective transfer students, I also work with all of our international students. I mainly assist our international students with all of their government paperwork needs.

I actively keep up my French and am a member of my local Alliance Française. I love attending our monthly conversation meetups and book reads! I also engage in a lot of self-study. Some of my favorite study resources are the Coffee Break French series and the Drops vocabulary app.

I have always been a lover of languages and fell in love with French in high school. I knew that it was something I had to continue to pursue at the collegiate level and I am so grateful that I did.

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Katherine Raybaud Folmar, 2014 10

Salut! My name is Katherine (Raybaud) Folmar and I graduated from Calvin in 2014. In my “postCalvin” I attended graduate school at Eastern Michigan University, earning my master’s in Educational Leadership in 2017. For the past four years I have been working as an Admissions Advisor at Rochester

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Calvin group again—and offer classes in person with no social distancing or mention of ZOOM.

FACULTY AND STAFF

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My wife Rita closed her bakery in Grand Rapids for the semester and enjoyed being with the group for excursions and social events. In our free time, we were able to hike in the mountains around Grenoble and sample a good range of pastries at Rita’s preferred shops. Over the fall break, we drove from Grenoble to Bordeaux, with stops along the way at the Puy de Dôme, Périgueux, Sarlat, Saint-Émilion, and Arcachon.

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Jolene Vos-Camy

It was a busy and exciting year for me at Calvin! One of the first actions that Calvin’s new president, Dr. Wiebe Boer, took was to give the Vice-Chair of Faculty Senate a seat on the President’s Cabinet. This added many meetings to my already busy schedule chairing Faculty Senate meetings, chairing the Committee on Governance, and overseeing an indepth review of the shared governance system at Calvin. But it was also very rewarding to serve alongside the president and vice-presidents of Calvin. This past spring I decided not to run for re-election, and will be back teaching full-time in the classroom this fall.

This past year I was grateful for financial support from the Provost’s Office which allowed me to present a paper on a 17th-century French author, Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force, in Reykjavík, Iceland at the Society for Interdisciplinary French Seventeenth-Century Studies.

I spoke on La Force’s fairytale, “Persinette”, that the Grimm brothers later adapted into Rapunzel. In the spring I co-presented at the Christian Association for World Languages Conference with one of my students, Lucy Kalebjian, on sustainability in the French classroom.

I am delighted that my article on one of Molière’s well-known plays came

out this summer in Papers on French Seventeenth Century Literature.

The article is titled, “Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, les Turcs, et la galère,” and it sheds light on a previously misunderstood aspect of the Turkish ceremony that forms the climax of the play.

Leading the May in France inaugural trip was another highlight of the year.

Students’ enthusiasm and energy was contagious as we explored Paris and Marseille together. After the students left, my daughter joined me for some rock-climbing and mountain-climbing in the Alps near Chamonix. We summited the Dômes de Miage and the Bérangère at about 12,000 feet on beautiful glacier and snow.

Thanks to funding from Calvin’s Nagel Institute, I traveled to Côte d’Ivoire in July where I lectured at a private university in the city of Man. This is the result of an on-going collaboration with Dr. Bony Guiblehon, professor at the Université de Bouaké in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Otto Selles

During Fall 2022, I led the Semester in France program (see related articles). I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to be back in Grenoble with a student group. The semester stood out for me due to the strong welcome I felt at the CUEF. Everyone there was very glad to see a large 16

During Spring 2023, I did not have any teaching responsibilities due to course releases given for research (through a Calvin Research Fellowship) and administrative work (as department chair). For my research, I transcribed a dossier of eighteenth-century manuscripts linked to a group of Huguenots living in Montpellier (1720–1723). In March, I participated in the Christian Association of World Languages conference at Hope College and benefitted from discussions with colleagues from Calvin and other universities on how to promote language study.

In May, I spent four weeks in Montpellier to focus on archival research related to my project. I returned to Grenoble for a week mid-June to accompany a Calvin group participating in a Model UN conference (see related articles). This trip turned out to be an exceptional experience. The rest of the summer was devoted to family events, writing, photography, and course preparation.

The year had its share of personal ups and downs. Rita’s mother died unexpectedly while we were in France, and we are now both without our parents. On a very positive note, our daughter Anna graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in April and began working in Grand Rapids in August; Isabelle and her fiancé Andrew Lowe have settled in Grand Rapids and got married in September; Luc is working in London, UK, and goes on bouldering/rock climbing adventures across Europe.