I realize now that I never announced on this blog that I left France, started grad school remotely, and am now announcing my practicum, but here we are.
So let’s bring you up to speed.
Shortly after I wrote my last post, I got on a call with my mother to determine my fate in France. Apparently my time à Pontarlier was to be cut short by a month and I was to come home on the next available/convenient flight which would be five days later. It was a somber dinner as I came downstairs at the Bossert’s to announce my premature departure. It’s an understatement to say several of us were not speaking or making eye contact to avoid tears.
The next few days were a blur. I had to return to my apartment and start packing, but I quickly realized there was no way I would be able to fully close all my accounts and move out the way I was supposed to. I enlisted Rose to do my close out errands — cancel my phone plan, return my school keys, and store borrowed supplies until my OG host sister, Laure, could pick them up.
Then, it was Easter Sunday and also my last day in Pontarlier. I had to stop myself from crying multiple times as I hugged them all goodbye and made endless promises that I would be back. When, exactly? J’ai pas su. But I made a promise and if I can get back to Bosnia three times, I’m sure I can get to France.
Once I had returned home, my future seemed unknown. I had paid my deposit to start my MA in International Education Management (IEM) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), but the option had popped up to either do it online, defer, or withdraw with no penalty. After talks with my parents and a few other incoming students, it seemed best to stay enrolled for the Fall semester and start my classes online.
But through each class, I learned more about the field of international education and the different avenues I could take for a career. I’m one of the lucky ones who started class and my studies only solidified what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I won’t go into a detailed account of coursework or projects, but I loved learning about things that I was fully interested in!
Naturally, as we all know now, the entire year remained online. But that didn’t stop me from connecting with students and staff alike and eventually making it down to Monterey to meet my classmates and see my school twice. It was weird to see my school in person and never actually step foot inside to take a class.
Nor will I ever do so, because! The point of this blog post!
As an MAIEM student, I have to complete a 4-6 month practicum/internship pretty much anywhere in the world that fulfills the five learning outcomes of an IEM diploma. Some students complete it at MIIS in the Career Center, others go to universities or schools with an IB program. Some do summer language programs or museums. Honestly, there’s not a strict set of criteria on where as long as you meet the learning outcomes!
After a few cold emails, interviews, and a bit of shuffling, I was thrilled to be offered a position as the Student Services Graduate Intern at Syracuse University Strasbourg Center, which meaaannnssss… I’ll be returning to France in approximately two months! Lots of exclamation points! I can’t begin to describe how happy I am that I’m going back to France and trading one border for another (Pontarlier was ten minutes from the Swiss border and Strasbourg is ten minutes from the German border).
Which reminds me that some may not be familiar with the area, so!
The university is close to everything and I’ve already got my apartment situation figured out, which is a blessing. I’ve heard many-a-time about the horrors of apartment hunting in France and I’m glad to say it’s out of the way.
My visa appointment, on the other hand, joined the ranks of ridiculous visa appointments from other study abroad students and assistants de langue. Long story short, frantic calls to France had to be made in order to get an updated support letter, my photos were rejected so I needed new ones (after getting up at 5am for my flight, I didn’t exactly look or feel “photo ready”), and it was just overall a weird experience.
But to my knowledge, but visa is on its way home to me and I’ll be set to move to France once more!
Anyway, I’m still not entirely sure what my day-to-day in France will look like, but I’m eager to start work and get even closer to my Master’s degree.
Until my visa arrives,
– Kate
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