In May 2020, students experienced an Indiana University commencement like no other in living memory, as graduation ceremonies and receptions were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Our French and Italian BA graduates are no exception, but the lack of in-person celebrations does not dampen our enthusiasm and pride as we congratulate the Class of 2020. Twelve French majors, four Italian majors, and one French Education major are completing bachelors degrees this spring or summer, and we salute their achievements!
We asked our graduate to talk a little about what they liked best about studying French and/or Italian, their hopes and plans after graduation, and any “shout outs” they wanted to add to thank faculty, staff, or family who helped them achieve this important milestone. The result is a series of videos which we combined with greetings from faculty and advisors. You can see the diversity of interests and exciting plans our graduates have, from Peace Corps service in Benin, West Africa to graduate studies in Nottingham, England; from medical school to organic farming. We wish them all the best and applaud them for finishing their degrees in difficult circumstances. Félicitations! Congratulazioni!
The French and Italian class of 2020:
Giuseppe Alkire (Italian and International Studies)
Thomas Boulay (Italian and East Asian Languages & Cultures)
Alexandria Drake-Patton (French)
Forrest Gatrell (French and Political Science)
Preston Gilts (Italian and Psychology)
Kangni Guo (French)
Dalton Hartwick (French and Molecular Life Sciences)
Audrey Hood (French and International Studies)
Isaac Joyner (French and Chemistry)
Grace M. Miller (French and International Studies)
Karly Murat-Prater (French and International Studies)
Victoria Myhand (Italian and History)
Andrea Orosz (French Secondary Education)
Hunter Pace (French and Environmental & Sustainability Studies)
Allyson Rushton (French and Folklore & Ethnomusicology)
Ethan Smith (French, Philosophy, and Political Science)
William Wilkerson (French)
The College of Arts