Essilor Of America Sent North Texas Student To France

ESSILOR OF AMERICA SENT NORTH TEXAS STUDENT TO FRANCE
Susan Quaye receives Essilor of America Study Grant

DALLAS -- (August 1, 2005) – For the past three years, one lucky North Texas college student has received a grant from Essilor to study for a summer in France. This year, Susan Quaye, a junior at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, is the recipient of the Essilor of America, Inc. Study Grant. She studied at the Universite De Caen in France for a four weeks period.

“Essilor aims to help students achieve their dreams of success,” said Hubert Sagnières, president of Essilor of America. “This study grant is one way that we can enhance the educational experience for students in North Texas and a way to give back to the community. Because of Essilor’s roots, we encourage students that wish to study the French language, people and culture and we are pleased to provide them with this exciting experience.”

Quaye, a native of Ghana, West Africa, is majoring in psychology and pre-med. She has lived in the United States for approximately three years. Most of her family still resides in Ghana. Growing up with parents from different tribes, Quaye speaks three different Ghanaian languages with her family.

“I adore the languages, French in particular,” said Quaye. “Other than English, French is the second dominant language in Africa. After I graduate from TCU and medical school, I hope to return to my home country and use the French language to become a doctor for the United Nations. This experience from Essilor will allow me to improve my French on a higher level and interact with other students in a foreign setting.”

On June 27, Quaye traveled to Normandy, France, to begin her four-week study of the French language and culture. She lived with a host family while attending the Universite De Caen.

The award covers expenses such as travel, tuition and lodging and was made possible with the selection assistance of the North Texas chapter of American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). Quaye was chosen from among 8 finalists.

Eligible participants are required to complete their sophomore year in good standing, have taken at least two courses in French at the university level and complete a 15-minute oral interview in French with the selection committee. In addition, applicants must submit two academic references and an essay in French indicating how the award would influence his/her life.

This marks the third year Essilor has awarded this grant to a North Texas student. Past grants have gone to Robin Reed and Carrie Sickman.