Jill (Mattison) Torres
Class: 2006
Graduated with a French major in 2006
"I studied at SSU for 4 years, double majoring in French and Liberal Studies. During my last year I realized I would regret not seizing the opportunity to study abroad for my last year, so applied for the Paris program for the 2005-2006 year and have been here ever since. During that year I met someone (one of the best ways to improve your French, in case you were wondering) so after my study abroad year ended I spent a summer in Aix-en-Provence with the guy who later became my husband.
In the fall I began teaching English in Paris to 2nd-5th graders. In the years that followed, I gave English lessons, got married and had two Franco-American bilingual babies who will never agonize over learning to say things like "tout droit" "grenouille" or " écureuil."
I am so thankful that I found Suzanne and Christine in the French program at SSU because, though I had loved studying French in high school, I was frustrated to not be improving and had all but given up. Without these two inspiring women I wouldn't have ended up where I am today. They both had their own unique way of bringing France to the class, making class fun, even classes that began at 8am!"