NTC Senior Opens French Doors

Tulane students have new study abroad opportunities thanks to senior Gabby Evans, a dual-degree student studying public health and French. She independently completed a semester abroad in France, Morocco, and Senegal via Academic Programs Abroad (APA), which led to the program’s official inclusion in Tulane’s extensive study abroad portfolio.

Evans’ intellectual curiosity about colonial legacies and their lasting impact on diasporic countries was the impetus for selecting this program. After a previous study abroad experience in Ghana, a former British colony, Evans developed a passion for learning more about post-colonialism, including France’s complex impacts across the African continent. Additionally, this program provided her with firsthand experience in understanding non-Parisian French accents, which was essential for the development of her listening comprehension skills.

During her time in France, Morocco, and Senegal, Evans engaged in a wide variety of activities to immerse herself in the unique aspects of the local culture, such as touring Senegal’s Île de Gorée, exploring Versailles, attending a soccer match, making bread, walking through Monet’s gardens, listening to an opera and even partaking in a hammam experience.

“This program reinforced how important ethically immersing myself in new cultures, challenging my level of comfort, and being open-minded are to my value system,” said Evans. “Beyond instilling the importance of language-learning as part of my life, this experience also reminds me to regularly challenge myself by stepping out of my comfort bubble.”

Evans recommends the program to all Tulanians interested in an education-focused Francophone experience, and by participating in this program as an independent scholar, she has opened doors for her fellow students. “Gabby’s experience at APA paved the way for other Tulane undergraduates to participate in this unique program, which is now an official option through our Office of Study Abroad,” said Dr. Casey Love, Associate Dean and Director of the Center for Global Education. “Newcomb-Tulane College students can study abroad in three countries—Senegal, Morocco, and France—while solidifying their French language skills.  The APA program is academically rigorous and linguistically immersive, and students are challenged by the multicultural contexts that they encounter in these three locations.”