Alumni Profiles

Name: John R. Durant Current Employer: Savvy Sherpa, LLC Job Title: Principal Researcher City & State: Minneapolis, MN Class of: 1992, 1995

How my French Degree Helped: Rabelais has more to do with www.polo.com than you may think. Our success in life is greatly dependent on our ability to persuade, convey ideas, and ultimately inspire others to act on what we believe in. Whether pitching an executive on a new ad campaign, convincing a jury to look at evidence in a fresh way, or cajoling one’s teenager to do homework, we strive to communicate something that makes the right impact. I have three degrees in French literature (two from BYU and another from the University of Minnesota), and one of the most valuable assets I acquired during those years was an increased capacity to successfully communicate. My career has extended into rewarding and, at times, surprising directions. These include roles in consulting (I was the principal architect of Ralph Lauren’s initial e-commerce Web presence back in 2001), engineering and marketing at Microsoft, and in senior leadership at a market research/business development firm. But, the threads of continuity in each endeavor have been skills in thought, analysis, creativity, and communication carefully refined during my years as a student of French literature. I’m deeply grateful for patient professors who challenged me to look at the human experience in new ways, pursue a novel line of inquiry, and then add my voice to the dialog in papers, presentations, and symposiums. Because of my experiences the connection between topics that seem worlds apart, such as early Renaissance literature and the design of an entire retail experience on the Internet, is immediate and real. Discovering that connection has been a more thrilling journey than I imagined. Perhaps being surprised in this way is what education is really about in the first place.

Name: Jonathan Fillmore Current Employer: Mayo Clinic Job Title: Resident Physician, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery City & State: Rochester, MN Class of: 2004

How my French Degree Helped: I chose French as my major for three reasons: First, my skills in literary analysis were weak. Simply put, I wanted to develop into a good reader and thinker; majoring in French and emphasizing the literature aspect made this weakness a strength to me. Similarly, I wanted an education rooted in liberal arts. I feel undergraduate degrees should teach us how to think and reason critically. My studies in pursuit of a degree in French were wonderful in helping me develop these skills. Third, I knew the career path I would pursue (Dentistry, and then Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery), and I knew I would have biochemistry and hard sciences all over again, but I would never have the chance to study French history, language, literature, and culture again. It was a question of opportunity cost. My French degree is invaluable, and has made me a well-rounded member of society. Critical thinking, an appreciation for other cultures and mindsets, and mastery of the language have all contributed to my patient care responsibilities, not to mention my personal fulfillment and enjoyment as I continue to read French novels, short stories, and newspapers in my spare time.

Name: Joseph Anderson Current Employer: Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP Job Title: Attorney City & State: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Class of: 2004

How my Italian Degree Helped: I will always look back with great fondness on my time spent studying Italian at BYU. The Italian major comprises so much more than the simple study of a language; it exposes its students to some of the finest literature, most interesting history and most charming culture that the world has to offer. I have an especially great love for the literature of Italy. Becoming acquainted with Dante, Levi, Petrarch, Verga and Boccaccio, among so many others, opened my mind to a world of ideas with which I was previously unfamiliar and allowed me to see things in a new light.

Upon applying for law school, my Italian degree gave me a unique background among so many applicants with run-of-the-mill majors which I believe benefited me in the application process and helped enable me to get accepted to many of the finest law schools in the country (UCLA). I have since gone on to practice law as an employment litigator and know that much of my success to this point in my career is attributable, in large part, to those wonderful years spent as an Italian major at BYU, closely associating with some of the finest professors, classmates and study materials for which I ever could have hoped.

Name: Daniel Stotts Current Employer: Deloitte Consulting LLP Job Title: Consultant City & State: Kansas City, MO Class of: 2007

How my French Degree Helped: My French degree allowed me to become a more well-rounded individual first and foremost. Majoring in Accounting takes its toll in the area of creativity, but it was French studies that helped supplement my college education into something more balanced.

This balance helped contribute to the recruiting process my senior year. I think having that French major to go along with that of Accounting showed the campus recruiters that I have more to offer than meeting the standard technical requirements. It's also a way to differentiate from the rest of the job applicants. A lot of the more prestigious firms actually expect job candidates to have a good mix of competencies that can be leveraged for adding to the group dynamic.

After having spent two years as a full time professional, I can see how my international exposure in French has allowed me to acclimate to the mannerisms and work ethic of my co-workers and clients. I work with professionals from practically every continent and when I tell them that I speak and have studied another language, you can see that adds to my goodwill in the office. I actually have aspirations to live and work in Europe, which would be less of a possibility if I only spoke English. Most European firms expect that you speak at least another language fluently if your native language is English. So it has been important for me to maintain my abilities in French for future professional prospects. The bottom line is that we live in an increasingly global marketplace and it's becoming more and more difficult to stay in one's native culture for work. For me, having studied another language/country has been a valuable asset on my resume and will probably be very important for my future growth both professionally and personally.

Name: Emilie Harker Job Title: Full-time homemaker City & State: West Valley, UT Class of: 2000

How my French Teaching Degree Helped: I have had some work experiences teaching community French classes and helping to write French language courses, but my main classroom experience since graduation has been at home. I am currently raising seven children in as close to a bilingual home as a non-native French speaker can create. Fortunately, my husband also studied some French at BYU and can therefore understand what is happening in his home! Spending some time abroad, teaching French at BYU as both a senior and masters student, and interacting with fellow students and professors in and out of the classroom all equipped me with the confidence and skill base that I needed to attempt teaching French in my home. Someday my classroom may expand, but for now, my children are the main recipients (willing or not ) of my education.

Name: Matthew Chrislip Current Employer: Self-employed (Dowland Studio) Job Title: Designer City & State: New York, New York Class of: 2007

How my French Degree Helped: Working as a graphic designer, product designer, and fashion designer, it's impossible to ignore the global influence of French culture and the French language. Majoring in French Studies gave me a direct connection to this creative force. It gave me the resources to improve my language skills, study the culture from the perspective of art and design, and spend eight months in Paris as a student and intern. It was an indispensable complement to my design education. The books I read, the films I watched, the places I visited, and the experiences I had are still sources of inspiration for my work.

Name: Jeremy Keele Current Employer: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Job Title: Corporate Attorney City & State: London, United Kingdom Class of: 2001

How my French Degree Helped: My family and I were recently traveling around Morocco and realizing again what an important and useful language French is around the world (my wife became a fan when I talked us out of a speeding ticket, for example!). I have been able to use my French to my advantage on countless occasions at work and at play. For example, I credit it in no small part for rounding out my resume and grad school entrance applications. Since finishing grad school, I have used it on numerous occasions at my job, where I work as a cross-border transactional attorney. France is a key hub in the deal-making world and in large, complicated transactions there is almost always a significant French component. Clients and counterparties are always gracious and grateful when they find out I speak their language. In addition, the life lessons learned from French literature have stuck with me in a way that a lot of other information from my college years has not (unfortunately).

French was one of the greatest things I did for myself at BYU.