Raven Mitchell '18
2015 - 2018
At NMU, my interests were in Earth Science and Soccer, where I was a member of the Women’s Varsity Soccer team. Beginning in 2015, I decided to pursue French out of interest in the culture and the thrill of learning to communicate in a new way. I would have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to put my French skills to the test. Currently, I am a master’s student at Michigan State University in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences. At MSU, I study periglacial landforms; those related to areas close to glaciers that are subject to seasonal freezing and thawing. My graduate studies have taken me to areas where I used French regularly: Geneva, Switzerland, and Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France for the 5th European Conference on Permafrost in the summer of 2018.
At NMU, studying under Dr. Kupper required that I step outside of my comfort zone in science and immerse myself in the language and the history of francophone countries around the world. I made friends in my French classes that would come to be important study buddies as we “grew up” through the advancing courses. Experiences such as conducting French Camp at Sandy Knoll Elementary school are proudly cited on my academic CV now on into graduate school.
At this time, I plan to finish my master’s degree in 2020 and then possibly pursue a Ph.D. in a geography-related field. I am incredibly grateful for my time studying French at NMU because it expanded my worldview and gave me access to opportunities and friends that I would not have had otherwise. But even more importantly, I see now that my French background is instrumental in my professional future. My advice for any undergraduate students thinking about pursuing a degree in French; no matter what your career aspirations are, a foreign language is never a bad tool to have in your back pocket. You never know when you may need it!
