UIC’s French Undergraduate Alumni

Grace Jones completed her BA in French and Francophone Studies at UIC and has been admitted to the TAPIF program in Aix-Marseille region. She is currently an intern at the Newberry Library and the Polish Museum. 

Carmen Jager completed her B.A. at UIC in Psychology and French. She did a Spring Break study abroad to Paris before graduating, and then upon graduating was awarded an internship with TAPIF to teach in Sedan, France. She is currently going on to a Master’s program in sustainable societies and social change in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kamron Ullah graduated with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and French. She has recently been accepted to George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C.

Lev Frank, a French and Management Information Systems minor was recently hired to direct the Adult Literacy Program for the Pueblo City-County Library District in Colorado.

Rica Lopez was admitted to the Master program in French studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Tiegan Bender, a French minor, is a Juris Doctor candidate at UIC Law School.

Izzy Agostinelli-Brown, a B.A. in political science with a French minor from UIC has been admitted to the TAPIF program in Aix-Marseille region.

Hazal Su Ceylan, a former Language Learning Assistant and peer tutor graduated with a B.A. in neuroscience with a French minor from UIC has been accpeted to Northwestern’s Master of Science in Law program.

Laurie Liberius, B.A. and M.A. in French at UIC, went on to work at BMO financial group as a Senior Bilingual AML/KYC Analyst, working to prevent international fraud and money laundering

Julian Wrobel, B.A. French, went on to be an assistant de langue in Beauvais, France in the government’s TAPIF program, is currently pursuing an M.A. in French at UIC.

Lorena Gonzalez, B.A. Biological Sciences with a French minor, went on to serve in Burkina Faso as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching science in French. She is now the Director of Institutional Giving at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.

Click here to read more from Lorena.

Temi Sodipe, a Public Health major, used her French minor to conduct interviews with local experts on FGM/C in Paris and Chicago in order to integrate new best practices and identify new recommendations. She graduated in 2023 and plans to pursue medical school.

Elma Abdulbaki, B.A. French and Francophone Studies, is currently pursuing her PharmD degree at UIC College of Pharmacy.

Click here to read more from Elma.

Kelly Tounou, BA in Public Health with a French minor went on to become an Americorps member at Rush Hospital in Chicago and is currently and MPH candidate at UIC and Graduate Research Intern at Feeding America.

Jackie Wilson, a French and Economics double major, is currently teaching English in French Guyana with TAPIF.

Ryan Hearty, an Economics major with a French minor, works as business development manager for Blackberry.

Mary Claire Murphy, a French and Sociology double major, works in hospitality in Chicago at The Gwen, a luxury collection hotel.

Caelye McAndrew, a biology major with a French minor, is currently teaching English in Rouen, France with TAPIF.

Bradley Grochocinski, B.A. French and Anthropology, went on to study international business and is now a bilingual product manager for a software company.

Charles Lafon, an architecture major with a French minor, is pursuing his Master of Architecture at the University of Southern California.

Zebulon Hurst, B.A. French and Francophone Studies, is a multi-disciplinary artist and scholar. He is currently an education coordinator in Evanston.

Ellie Brannaman, B.A. French and Francophone Studies, is a relationship banker with JP Morgan.

Sofia Diaz, who majored in Communications with a French minor, is now a Registered Client Service Associate at Morgan Stanley.

Susy Lopez, B.A. in Teaching of French, taught with the TAPIF program in France. She now is a French teacher in the Chicago area.

Nicole Ogbuagu, B.S. Neuroscience with a French minor, is now a research specialist with UChicago Medicine.

David Degooyer, B.A. French and Communications, is now an Exam Development Associate for the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.

Suzanne Oskouie, B.S. in Neuroscience and B.A. in French, received a Fulbright Research Grant to study neural progenitor cell migration and differentiation at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. She is now a M.D. and fellow at University of Arizona.

Miguel Garcia, a Biology major and French minor, went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Chester in England. He is now a Clinical Trial Associate with Labcorp.

Citlaly Herrera double majored in French and Spanish, concentrating in linguistics. She is currently a Visiting Lecturer in the Spanish department at UIC.

Dayana Lopez, BA and MA in French at UIC, lives in the Chicagoland area and teaches college French classes and does French and Spanish translation over the summer.

Abigail Suleman double majored in French and Chemistry at UIC and went on to pursue her Master of Public Health. She is a sexual and reproductive health advocate and currently researches adolescents with UW-Madison’s Department of Pediatrics.

Alefiyah Shikari got her BA in the Teaching of French. She went on to receive her M.Ed and work in higher education.

Click here to read more from Alefiyah.

Vanessa Ruiz, after majoring in the Teaching of French, now works in the non-profit sector in education.

Clare Stopher, BA French, is now working as a recruiter in the life sciences industry.

Rafael Olague, BA in French, is trilingual and is now a local Spanish teacher.

Eliza Apavaloaiei graduated May 2024 with a BA in Political Science and Economics.