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    Photo Bryan Tran

    May 29, 2019

    French Connection

    In just a few short months, Bryan Tran ’21 will find himself in the 2,000-year-old town of Grenoble at the foot of the majestic French Alps, thousands of miles from his family, his friends and his routine. Tran will engross himself in a new culture as he visits historic landmarks in Paris and Lyon; he will hone his language skills; and he will grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Most important, this aspiring French teacher will absorb everything around him so that he can one day use his experiences to build a classroom in which he will challenge and inspire his students to find their own voices.  

    Tran models the Jesuit ideal of the magis – or more. Whether volunteering to teach French to curious first- and second-graders, creating opportunities for students to practice the language in social settings as president of the French Club, or learning to incorporate literature into lesson plans at an American Association of Teachers of French conference, he goes well beyond what is expected of him. Tran credits the College with instilling in him the knowledge, work ethic and community-building skills that characterize great educators.  

     

    “Le Moyne has given me the confidence to learn, to lead and to work with others,” he said. “It has taught me to explore my passions and to take risks, and I will forever be grateful for that.”

     

    As Tran prepares to embark upon this journey of discovery, he knows that it would not

    be possible without the support of another Dolphin, Ed Loos ’68, who, along with his late wife, Susan ’69, established the Loos Scholarship Fund at Le Moyne and Loos Experiential Learning and Travel Endowment. Ed taught high school math before moving into a career in finance, while Susan devoted her professional life to education. As they reflected on the impact Le Moyne had on their personal and professional lives, the Looses were determined to find a way to give back. They wanted to play a role in preparing students to become engaged members of the global community by providing them with the chance to explore the world. In Ed’s view, such opportunities are “a critical component of a comprehensive 21st century education.”  

     

    “It was important for us to give students the chance to engage in experiential learning and travel opportunities,” he said. “There is no better way to understand the world than by exploring it for yourself.”

     

    In addition to Loos’ gift, Tran’s trip will also be funded in part by The O’Leary International Travel Grants Program, which provides financial awards of up to $2,000 to help offset travel costs for students in Le Moyne’s College of Arts and Sciences participating in study abroad programs. This grant program is administered by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences and funded by a gift from the estate of Harriet L. O’Leary, professor emerita of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

     

    For his part, Tran said he looks forward to an experience that will prepare him to leave his mark on the world.

     

    “I know that this experience is going to change me forever – in the best possible way.”

     

    Loos Scholarship Fund and Loos Experiential Learning and Travel Endowment and the O’Leary International Travel Grants Program are part of the College's $100 million Always Forward campaign, which was publicly announced in June of 2018. 

    Learn More:
    Study Abroad
    French
    Our Values

     

    Category: Global Dolphins