. Class of 1999
. Class of 2000
. Class of 2001

 

 

 

Class of 1999

 



Year graduated from FASSV: 1999     
Languages spoken: English and French

Schools attended since FASSV
Middle School(s): Fisher Middle School (Los Gatos, CA)
High School(s): Los Gatos High School
University(s): UCLA

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am currently studying to be an aerospace engineer, with a technical breadth in engineering sciences. Ever since my stepdad bought me my first model rocket, I've wanted to be an aerospace engineer. I'm hoping to eventually one day design a space shuttle that will further our reach into space.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
While NASA is always an ideal dream, I think I would much prefer going with a private company that deals with rockets, such as Northrop, Boeing or Lockheed.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
I'm currently involved in Baja, which is a club that builds an off-road vehicle and competes in national competitions in the spring. I also love to play basketball and soccer with my friends whenever I have free time. If I'm not doing any of that, I'm simply listening to music as I do my homework.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
My favorite memory would have to be playing soccer with everyone on the field near the school. We would always use the trees as goal posts, and our field was always wider than it was long.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
I love Paris as a city, but the south of France is so much more laid back. Paris still has the hustle and bustle of a large city (not to mention a great metro system), but cities like Nice just feel more at home.
And how can someone NOT love French food?

How has learning French impacted your life?
Learning French has affected me in multiple ways. I have the option to travel to France at anytime without being out of place, and during high school I had the chance to do so.
More importantly though, the time and dedication it took to learning a completely different language helped me throughout my academic life. I developed the drive and determination needed to arrive at UCLA because I started off by working hard to learn French at FASSV

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  If so,with whom?
Sadly, I don't keep in touch with too many of my former classmates. I still keep in touch with Laurent Ginestet every once in a while, but different schools took us down different paths.

 



Year graduated from FASSV: 1999
Languages spoken: French and English

Schools attended since FASSV
Middle School(s): Bret Harte Middle School
High School(s): Leland High School
University(s): U.C. Berkeley

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
Major: Environmental Economics and Policy
Minor: French

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
I intend to pursue a career in International Environmental Law.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
I am a Resident Assistant and Security Monitor for U.C. Berkeley; I am responsible for approximately 60 residents organizing academic, social, transitional and service programs.
My extra-curricular activities/clubs include Speech & Debate, U.C. Berkeley Political Science Club, and environmental internships.
In my spare time, I enjoy running/hiking, dancing, Tae Kwon Do, photography, and discovering San Francisco on the weekends!

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
My favorite memory from my 8 wonderful years at FASSV was the 5th grade trip to Yosemite National Park. I remember waking up early and cooking breakfast, just as the first settlers of the west would have done, (settlers’ clothing and all!). We learned to chop wood, perform blacksmith’s tasks, and so forth. I also recall returning home from that trip with quite a souvenir…two of the vans from our group had been broken into, by bears…so we drove back with missing windows :-)

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
There is so much I appreciate about the French culture, from the wonderful food, (especially the patisserie), to the arts and fashion. That’s why I absolutely love Paris, because I can find everything I enjoy there! 

How has learning French impacted your life?
Being bilingual has benefited me in many ways. First, I was 1 of 3 Americans selected to participate in an (all expense paid) International Student Cultural trip to Paris several years ago. This coming summer, I will complete a French Literature course at La Sorbonne Université. Finally, speaking French should be a tremendous asset in my chosen field of Int’l Environmental Law.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  If so,with whom?
Thanks to email and Facebook, I’m able to remain in touch with many former classmates, (even those who returned to Europe.) In fact, over the winter holidays, I got together with Laurent Ginestet and Sang-Ho Lee.

 



Year graduated from FASSV: 1999
Languages spoken: French, English, conversant in Spanish.

Schools attended since FASSV:
Middle School: Castilleja School, Palo Alto
High School: Castilleja School, Palo Alto
University: St Andrews University, Scotland

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am doing a double major in International Relations and Business Management. I think it is very important to be both politically involved and aware, especially in an increasingly globalized world.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
I am not sure as of yet- it ranges from NGO work, to working in the fashion industry, to consultancy work… I have quite a laissez-faire philosophy here.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
International Politics Association, Global Investment Group, Charity fundraising.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
I absolutely loved “roughing it” as pioneers in a Yosemite campsite in CM1 or 4th grade. I believe our class became much closer thanks to this adventure. 

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
It is difficult to pinpoint one thing I love about French culture. I love the food, the attitude, the films, the politics and the lifestyle in France. Paris and Toulouse are two of my favorite cities.

How has learning to speak French impacted your life?
It has enabled me to make connections and better relate to certain people, especially at my University where there is a huge international population. Learning other languages, especially Latin based ones, is so much easier to do once you have a strong base in French.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV? 
Yes, Stephanie Hall, AJ Shalabi, Laurent Ginestet, Aleksander Hauge, Thomas Hamard, Caroline Bitter-- mostly through Facebook! One of my former classmates, Caroline Bitter, attends St Andrews University with me and lives in my dorm campus.

 



Year graduated from FASSV:  1999, the school’s very 1st graduating class
Languages spoken: English, French, Korean

Schools attended since FASSV:
Middle School: International Bilingual School of Provence (IBS Aix-en-Provence).           
High School: IBS (until Sophomore year)
Singapore American School (10th-12th grade)
University: University of Pennsylvania

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am currently in a dual degree program in Engineering and Business.  In the school of Engineering and Applied Sciences I am majoring in Bioengineering.  In the Wharton Business School I will probably pursue a concentration in Finance.  I have been interested in biology all throughout middle school and high school.  Originally I wanted to pursue a pre-med education as an undergrad however, with interest in a more technological aspect of Biology so I decided to pursue an Engineering degree in it.  In addition, adding a business orientation to an Engineering degree seemed to be useful for possible jobs in the future.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
Like most traditional Wharton graduates I believe I will probably start my first few jobs on Wall Street (Investment Banking).  Later on I would like to further combine by bioengineering degree to the business view and orientation I will have acquired from banking.  Hopefully I can start my own biotech company!

What are your pastimes and interests?
I like to play music (clarinet, saxophone), Fence and play rugby. During high school I was quite involved in the French club and the Jazz club. On top of all of those things, I love to speak French, eat French, think French and especially meet French people so I don’t forget the language.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
I remember many good friends, as well as my teachers (Roz, Mr. Jeuniaux and Clementine).  I vividly remember our graduation, we were the first graduating class of FASSV so it was very exciting.  I also remember Roz giving us each a stock of Ben and Jerry’s to be collected when we got into college.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
The lifestyle in France is very liberal and the people extremely friendly.  It may be because I lived in southern France; however I very much miss their gregariousness.

How has learning French impacted your life?
Learning French has definitely given me an edge whether in high school or in college. It has always helped get myself more involved in different parts of a community in addition to the French community.  Applying to college I remember emphasizing a lot of my experiences from my French education. 

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV? 
Thomas Hamard and Alex Haugher are two classmates I have kept in good touch with over the years.  Thomas’ family moved to the same town in France I moved to after FASSV and we were also able to see Alexander when he came to visit from Norway a few times.

 

Class of 2000

Year graduated from FASSV: 2000
Languages spoken: French and English

Schools attended since FASSV
Middle School(s): International School of the Peninsula (6th and 7th), Miramonte (8th)
High School(s): Los Altos High School
University(s): Wellesley College

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am majoring in Geosiences. I have always been interested by the natural sciences and lately, environmental studies. I hope to understand the science behind environmental issues, so that I can pursue environmental policy in the future.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
I am not sure yet, perhaps something along the lines of environmental lawyer or consultant.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
I am in Body and Soul, a vocal jazz ensemble. I enjoy singing with friends. I love reading whenever I am on break. I try to read the news as regularly as I can, but it can sometimes be challenging to keep up with a college workload!
I also volunteer with a volunteering organization at Harvard University. It is called BRYE-Teen (Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment). We do activities with teenagers in Dorchester, a predominantly Cape Verde and Vietnamese immigrant community. The picture attached is of my mentee and me. My mentee’s name is Vanessa, she is a sweetheart, and we had just had our end of semester Holiday Party (December 6th).

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
There are so many, how can I choose? I really enjoyed the trip to Yosemite (I believe that was in 3rd or 4th grade. I remember washing pennies with salt and vinegar in 3rd grade and they came out very shiny! I loved recess, running outside and playing tag. There are so many of these random happy moments.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
I love the architecture, the old buildings, the narrow streets, and the quaintness of old towns. Chocolate of course is among the top favorite things about France. I love quenelles from Lyon. I like the typical French everyday and weekly routine. And of course, I love the “gastronomie francaise”, the music, the yearly festivals, and French films.

How has learning French impacted your life?
It has definitely allowed me to connect with more people and opens up many travel opportunities. I also enjoy being able to read French literature in French, rather than reading translated versions. There are also quite a few French international students both at Wellesley and in the Boston community in general, so it is nice to have that French community in college as well.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  If so, with whom?
I mostly keep in touch with Maite Meriaux, who came to FASSV during the 5th grade.

 

 
                
Year graduated from FASSV: 2000
Languages spoken: 4

Schools attended since FASSV:
Middle School: International School of the Peninsula
High School: Henry M. Gunn High School
University: New York University

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am an English literature major. I’ve always been interested in writing, and the more I work and study in this field, the more I enjoy analyzing literature and discovering all the intricacies that become key components of a text.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
Ideally, I would be a professor or a writer for “The New Yorker,” but I’m realistic, so I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just know I will be going to graduate school for Comparative Literature

What are your pastimes and interests? 
In high school, I did Russian theater and played piano. Since coming to NYU, school and work have dominated my free time, but I genuinely enjoy going to the various museums New York has to offer, and just generally exploring the city since there is no shortage of new neighborhoods to discover.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
I loved my 4th grade trip to Yosemite—we all got to school at 5 AM, then it turned out that the bus had not been reserved, so we wound up leaving at around 9AM. Then, the first night there, we were staying in a wood cabin akin to the ones the pioneers stayed in; hence, the absence of any kind of heat. In the middle of the night, when people had finally gotten warm enough to fall asleep, we heard a beeping that became increasingly frequent. As it turned out, the batteries in the fire alarm, the only modern equipment in the cabin, were dying. There was some resentment.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
I appreciate French candor. They’re just not shy about stating their opinions, and it’s refreshing.  I like the lifestyle. Of course, this is a generalization, but I love that they can stop and have three hour dinners, and enjoy their time with other people.

How has learning French impacted your life?
Learning French has definitely helped me learn other languages, and it’s been invaluable in my travels because knowing the language of the country when you visit it completely changes the nature of the visit.  Knowing how to speak French has also heightened my appreciation of the value of language—one of my greatest fears is forgetting French because it’s the most important window into another culture.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  
I am friends on facebook with a couple of my classmates. (Does that count?) They are: Cyndhia Ramatchandirane, Maeve Coudrelle, Brandyn Le-Lewis, Charlotte Perez, Maelia Bianchi, Alice Varma.

 

Class of 2001



Year graduated from FASSV: 2001
Languages spoken: English, French

Schools attended since FASSV
Middle School(s): International School of the Peninsula
High School(s): Mountain View High School
University(s): King’s College London (University of London)

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I’m studying French with English, which I love because I get to study a variety of French texts and poetry as well as the chance to keep speaking the language. I also get to pick one English module each semester and the opportunity to spend my third year in a French-speaking country.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
I don’t have an exact idea of what kind of career I want to pursue but I think I might enjoy writing for or working in public relations for a fashion magazine or a fashion house or perhaps go into fashion marketing.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
In high school I was in choir for three years, which I loved. I was also part of the dance team, drama board and drama club and performed in numerous plays. At university I have less time for extra-curricular activities but I am a member of the French Society as well as the Film Society and Drama Society. .

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
The class trip we took to Canada in 5th grade was probably my absolute favorite memory of my time at FASSV. Getting to travel to another country with my classmates and participating in the activities at Camp Beauvallon, was a fantastic experience.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
There are many things I love about French culture and France. I think the south of France is beautiful and very scenic and would love to go back there more often. I also love Edith Piaf and her music, I think she is such an icon in French culture. I also really enjoy French films such as Amélie and Les Choristes

How has learning French impacted your life?
I think learning French has definitely impacted my life in a very positive way. It was certainly helpful when I was learning Spanish as the two languages are very similar. I think that knowing and understanding another culture is a wonderful thing, it really enables you to be more open-minded and accepting of different societies. Of course, it is also very helpful to be able to speak the language when I visit France as well.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  If so,with whom?
I occasionally speak to Parissa Shayesteh and used to be in quite good contact with Kim Beunder and Kari Mosleh. I still see Claire Heritier, Amelie Bricker, Brendan Ozawa-Burns and Casey Jones quite often despite the fact that they were in the year below me.

 



Year graduated from FASSV: 2001
Languages spoken: English, French, Arabic

Schools attended since FASSV:
Middle School(s): International School of the Peninsula, Lycee Pierre Mendes France (in Tunisia)
High School(s): Lycee Rochambeau
University(s): Stanford University

If in University, what is your major? Computer Science

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?:
Working in/Founding a high-tech start-up in the Silicon Valley.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
Soccer, Videogames, and I'm going to start working on the Stanford Solar Car Project this summer.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?  
Going to Montreal in 5th grade with my friends.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture? I love French rap music.

How has learning French impacted your life?
Being in the French system for K-12 exposed me to a culture and language I would not have experienced otherwise. Knowing how to speak French is a very useful skill to have, especially when traveling around the world.

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV? If so,with whom?
I keep in touch with Sean Pan and Cameron Lee from time to time.