Eric Bertholet

Student

“Most people see different languages as a block, but I see them as a key: I love communication.”

Bordering on the European giants of France and Germany is one of the world’s smallest nations: Belgium. And it practically seems to be a Belgian characteristic to be adaptable to changing circumstances—the sweep of European history has demanded it. So it is with Eric Bertholet. “I feel I’m very adaptive and flexible, like a chameleon: Show me a process, and I’ll become part of it,” says Eric. “I may go into professional dancing or the stage, or I may end up in the US Navy. I’ve been involved in the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps for ten years. Going into OCS is an option that I want to keep open because I love the sea.”

But currently Eric, who moved to the US at the age of 9, is immersed in the sea of language. “I want to learn as many languages as possible and be qualified as an interpreter,” says the young man who already speaks German, French, Flemish, and English. “With language comes a better understanding of cultures and people and a method that helps to overcome barriers in the world.” Eric also reports that he sees few barriers for himself in what he’s planned for the future.

“I’ve gotten my GED, I’m going to a great college, and I’ll be getting my US citizenship soon. I’m meeting the goals that I’ve set for myself, and SMC has helped me get on a steady track. There are so many great courses offered here—next semester I’ll be taking Russian and art—that I feel like I can accomplish whatever I set out to do.” And one of Eric’s goals is to see as much as possible of the new country that he’ll soon call his home. “I’ve traveled a lot in Europe, but now I’m really curious to see the US,” he says. “I’ve been all along the West Coast from Oregon, and into Arizona. This is such a vast country; certainly when you compare it with a little place like Belgium.”

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