OXFORD, Miss. – Ann Atkinson of Memphis, a junior at the University of
Mississippi, is connecting with both French and European culture and
history this semester in Paris.
A
marketing major in UM’s School of Business Administration and member of
the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, she expects her study
abroad will enhance her chances for a global career.
“I am
hoping to become fluent in French,” she said. “I would love to
have a career in marketing or accounting where I get to use my language
skills, perhaps living in Europe.”
She’s also
racking up another impressive addition to her future resume: studying at
the ISC Paris School of Management, a leading business school in the
heart of Paris. ISC is a new exchange partnership sponsored by the UM
Study Abroad Office. Atkinson’s courses include Economics and Geopolitics
of the Luxury Industry and the Globalization of American Supremacy. She
is also taking intermediate French.
Besides
earning academic credit, Atkinson is taking advantage of other
opportunities.
“I hope to learn a lot about myself and about handling different
cultures,” she said. “I have already had major learning
experiences adjusting to differences, such as a lack of air conditioning.
“Seriously, I think it will enhance my college education by
broadening my perspective of the world and allowing me to form
relationships with young people from many different countries.”
Eager to
begin her sojourn, Atkinson arrived in France three weeks ahead of
schedule to allow her to visit southern France and travel around Italy by
train to Florence, Rome and Cinque Terre.
“I am
planning on traveling as often as possible” she said. “A lot of
my Ole Miss friends are in Europe as well, and a bunch of other study
abroad students were here recently for the weekend, and we all had a
great time together, going to cafes, shopping, even seeing a major
European horse race.”
Atkinson
is living in the middle of Paris near the Opera House, a major tourist
attraction. She shares residence with a Canadian student, who is also
studying at the ISC, and a French couple.
“All
of the international students in the ISC study abroad program are very
nice and interested to learn about the U.S.,” she said. “I’m
the only American student at the school, so it’s sometimes overwhelming
being with so many Europeans – and Canadians.”
Atkinson
added that one somewhat daunting aspect of her experience has been her
class schedule. “Classes are really long,” she said. “One
of them meets for six hours at a time and always on different days, so
it’s very difficult to make out a class schedule.”
She will
return to Ole Miss in mid-January in time for the spring semester, with
plans to possibly add accountancy as a second major. She is slated to
graduate in 2011.
A 2007
graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Atkinson is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. E.W. Atkinson Jr. of Memphis.
For more
information on Study Abroad programs at UM, go to
http://www.outreach.olemiss.