2017 Cohort Experience

Student Testimonials

"This experience was one of the most valuable of my college career. I had the experience to work in an amazing lab with amazing leadership and faculty that really allowed me to grow as a person and student. I had the opportunity to work with a lot of different people and showed me the importance of listening and learning from mistakes. This experience also really forced me to grow in my independence and step out of my comfort zones. We had the opportunity to travel outside of Paris and travel to other countries. Since, we had to plan all the trips ourselves I learned how hard logistics and planning really are!! But, it was so worth it and we got to see incredible places such as castles in the countryside of France, Barcelona, Spain, and Rome, Italy. This summer, I got a once in a life time experience of working in a foreign country with four other incredible people and seeing amazing sites and places along the way. I will be starting medical school next year, so I am very grateful for this experience that helped me widen my perspective before I start (and for a relaxing and amazing summer before I begin a crazy life). If you are thinking of applying for this experience, consider not only the amazing academic experience you will get, but the cultural enrichment that will stay with you far longer."

Abby Roebker

Biology Major

"Paris was most definitely life changing for me. I never did research before so I was a little skeptical and unsure about how well I was going to do while in the lab. It was intimidating because everyone else had some kind of research experience and I was coming in totally fresh. In the beginning it was hard for me because nothing that we did was right so it was very frustrating. One of the biggest things I learned in Paris was that you have to continue to be consistent and hardworking and things will eventually work out. I learned more about our research through the mistakes that we made then I did when we got things right, so trust the struggle and be appreciative of the growth through that struggle.

It is a job and you will have to get up every day to make sure that you are prepared for work. Some days you will get out of the lab early and some days you will not leave the lab until late at night. And you will have to be okay with that!

Take time to enjoy this one in a lifetime experience. Had I not been selected for the opportunity I probably would have never went to Paris. I enjoyed every bit of the city from the bus rides to the Louvre.

Don't worry about the people you will be with in Paris. Chances are, if they were selected like you, something about them Is awesome enough that is worth getting to know! The relationship I developed with Joe Abby and Carlos was crazy. We are all SOOO different, came from different backgrounds and have different life experiences. However we all were able to work together and honor each other's unique qualities while also finding many interesting things in common. I love all of them and I am so happy that I was in Paris with all of them."

Mykia Lee

Biology Major 

"As a student, my 9 weeks in Paris provided by the NSF grant were among the most significant in my life. I went through college thinking that the information I was learning was interesting, but never really understood why it was so important to learn. However, my nine weeks in Paris let me apply that knowledge into a unique problem that required some creativity, hard work, and humility. Working with the Paris Cohort gave me a revitalized love for science. I saw the direct results of my chemistry academic coursework while studying cryptochrome. I worked with citizens of Argentina, Thailand, the US and France. I enjoyed the stimulating conversations on the Seine and in Barcelona taverns. I especially enjoyed the potential to engage science in different way. In having to communicate with someone who did not speak the same language as I did, I had to make sure that my language was deliberate, and culturally respectful so that I could best contribute to the team.

When I reflect over those two months, I am in a constant state of shock and gratitude. I could never have imagined that I could have gone abroad and added to a scientific study. I never could have afforded to go abroad in the first place. This experience was the most humbling, and the most significant I got to experience during my academic career. This program is a reason that Xavier is a unique place. You are taught the information, but you really learn how to apply it in unique ways so that you can potentially change the world. "

Carlos Munoz

Chemistry Major