Welcome FLTA Camille Bouillon

By Lindsey Nair
October 27, 2016

How to say “Welcome” in French: Bienvenue

Camille Bouillon
2016 Foreign Language Teaching Assistant

Tell us about yourself. 

I come from France, where I was born in Lyon and grew up in the Parisian suburb, in Nogent-sur-Marne. First of all, I attended a three-year intensive program preparing for the arts section of l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris) after finishing high school. I was studying various fields such as French and English literatures, philosophy, history, ancient Greek. Then I entered the University of La Sorbonne in Paris and started work on a master’s degree in French as a foreign language.

What made you come to Washington and Lee as an FLTA? 

To tell the truth, I heard about this offer completely by chance at the beginning of my academic year at La Sorbonne. And I immediately wanted to take part in this adventure! When I started to inquire about American universities I could work at, I found out that W&L was ranked highly and offered a very interesting program for FLTAs. Moreover, I would have the added benefit of being paid and lodged.

What is your favorite part about the area so far?

I think that the Center for Global Learning on campus is a wonderful place. I’ve never seen so much technology in one place! My university in France is quite old-fashioned in that respect, and I think it really should be inspired by W&L.

Is there anything in particular that you are looking forward to doing while you are in the USA?

Traveling throughout the country, I guess! There are so many places to discover, which are very different from one to another, in terms of landscape, culture, history. My next plan is to go to D.C.!

What are your plans for when you return home? 

First, I will complete my master’s degree in French as a foreign language at La Sorbonne, as I have one more year before graduating. At this point, I’m still hesitating about my future. At the beginning, I wanted to start working abroad as a French teacher once I got my degree, but now I’m thinking about continuing my studies and engaging in a Ph.D in French language and literature in the U.S. But right now this is purely hypothetical!

What do you like to do for enjoyment?

Watching a movie, going out with friends or attending concerts are things I’m delighted to do! Recently, I started taking a real interest in opera, and whenever I have free time I’m always listening to new music I’ve found. The good thing about opera is that it is so rich and varied so there’s always more to discover!

Reach out to Camille at bouillonc17@mail.wlu.edu.

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