Savannah Crider, a Criminal Justice and Social Sciences major with minors in Legal Studies and French, left for France in early June.
In early May, Crider was awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship in the amount of $4,000. This highly competitive scholarship is administered through the U.S. State Department. Thanks to the scholarship, and coupled with aid from TWU’s The Burdette Global Scholarship Fund, Savannah took her dream trip.
A teacher once told Crider, “The best way to learn a language is to be surrounded by it.” Those words stuck with her. She knew that she had to get to France to build on the foundation laid here at Tennessee Wesleyan in her studies with Dr. Augustin Bocco. However, Crider met challenges at every turn.
First, the worldwide pandemic halted all action toward spending a summer abroad in 2021. A Level 4 Travel Advisory for France led to still more anxiety over whether Crider could attend in 2022, but this didn’t stop her persistence. She applied directly to The Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence location and was accepted.
Next came finding the money. With the help and encouragement of Study Abroad Coordinator Dr. Elizabeth Ruleman, Crider drafted and redrafted her application letters. Her work paid off. She would soon be taking six hours of coursework that would be transferred back to Tennessee Wesleyan.
Crider hopes to work for the federal government as a law enforcement officer, and she knows that having a second language will benefit her. It will open doors that she can only imagine right now.
“The first time I met her, I recognized a drive in Savannah,” said Dr. Ruleman. “Working with her this year has shown me what sheer determination can achieve. I am so proud of Savannah. This Gilman Scholarship is an achievement that our university should be proud of. The odds were against her, but she has won.”
The six-week program began the first week of June, and Crider’s first course was 211, Living in France. The class covered French theatre, music, movies, and other cultural aspects, such as expressions. The class helped grow her French skills and vocabulary. Crider’s next class was 301. This class focused mostly on grammar and was difficult for Crider. The coursework and paperwork for Crider were easier for her, as she is better at reading and writing French.
“I took 301, and that one was completely in French. My professor didn’t speak in English but maybe 3 times the whole class. The class taught me to listen better,” said Crider. “The class was difficult. It was definitely a sink or swim situation for me. At first, I got so overwhelmed, and I was having so much anxiety over trying to learn to listen. It was something I wasn’t used to.”
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