|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gonzalez Sets Sights on France
3/29/2007
 Words cannot describe the feeling of “gagnant,” a French word for “winner,” that Roberto González, sophomore finance and marketing major, became when he won the 2007 L’ Alliance Française Scholarship. The only word that came to his mind was “excitement.”
The L’ Alliance Française scholarship will award González $3,000 to study abroad in France over the summer. He was one of six Houston university students, and the only University of St. Thomas student, to win this scholarship award. With the support of his professors, González will consider attending the Universite Michel al Montaigne in Bordeaux, France to study for a month this summer.
The Mexico City native gives credit to his mother, who refused to permit him to study Spanish as a foreign language when he was in school. “My mom would not let us take Spanish because we already spoke Spanish at home, so I fell to French,” he said.
But González will not find it difficult to pass the time while in France. He says he wants to learn about fine wines, architecture, and anything and everything filling the museums. At the university, he will take courses on French civilization and a general study of the French language, which translates into six hours of class every day. In whatever spare time is left, González said he would like travel about the countryside.
Sophomore Veronica Vittone, a French major in the Pre-med program, was chosen as alternate and will take advantage of the scholarship if any of the other six winning students are not able to go, “I am very honored to receive the alternate position,” Vittone said. “It means I will work harder and try again next year.”
Vittone is no stranger to the world travel. She has traveled since her youth and plans to continue throughout her career. Born and raised until the age of six in Buenos Aires, Vittone may go back to her homeland to attend medical school when she completes the pre-med program at UST. “It is an option to go and study in Argentina after UST, but I still haven’t decided what I will do.” Following in her parents footsteps, Vittone may pursue psychiatry or possibly neuroscience. Now fluent in three languages, Vittone’s next conquest of dialect is Italian.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
