Claire Bernole

Student

“SMC? C’est fantastique!”

When you think of France, you might conjure up images of beautiful countryside, the wines...and all that dense European history. But it was the history of another country—America—that was giving Claire Bernole fits and starts in her first days at SMC. “It’s a real struggle for me, the history of the US after 1865,” admits the young woman from a famous suburb of Paris. “It’s so difficult for me to memorize all the important dates and people. But I’m learning about a new country, and that is exciting to me.” And though she grouses about her workload—like anyone in college—Claire had prepared herself very well for her entry into a new land.

“I’d studied in the French university system but I was fed up with it because it’s so formal,” she explains. “I wanted to be in an English-speaking country, and my cousin here did some research for me. What he found was the reputation of SMC, the transfer rate to UCLA, and the cost of going here. How could I argue?” So Claire, who tutors students in French at the SMC library, became a transplant to California soil. And though she reports confidence about becoming a teacher of English—and French—through UCLA, she adds that it may be a while before she’s truly feeling “rooted.”

“When you arrive in the States, it’s very good to find yourself at SMC because it’s more like family here,” she says. “Still, it’s difficult to meet people. And that’s why I joined the International Speakers Club. We get together and give talks about each other’s countries,” she adds. “And this helps me: to know there are people from all over the world studying here, going through what I’m going through.” But Claire, don’t worry—you’ll always have Paris.

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