By Judy Carmack Bross
Aldo Magana and Gabija Federavivius.
Photos from Paris have surely been recent favorite arrivals in Connie Frydenlund’s inbox. As Chair of the Alliance Francaise de Chicago’s McCormick Award for Excellence Scholarship, she headed the committee that selected the two outstanding students studying in France this summer and hoping to see the opening of the Paris Olympics. In addition to morning classes in language and culture, grammar and phonetics, in the afternoons and weekends students are encouraged to explore France which brings Frydenlund and her committee much delight.
“Why is it important? These scholarships have allowed very capable students to seek out new experiences and to lead their richest lives. We think they will continue to open doors to new adventures in the future,” Frydenlund said. “The students are very careful with their money and often go as far as Mont St. Michel and Marseilles in their explorations. And they are reminded to speak only French there.”
Parisien postings from Gabija Federavivius from Hoffman Estates High School and Aldo Magana from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy underscore the importance of the program created in 1968 in memory of Roger McCormick, Chicago businessman, Francophile, and President of the Alliance Francaise.
Alliance Executive Director Mary Ellen Connellan, Connie Frydenlund, Gabija Federavicius, Aldo Magaña, Board Chair David Horn, and Connery Hoffman, Alliance Director of Special Programs.
“The McCormick Scholarship Committee of the board has had almost the same vigorous format since 1981 where we select two graduating students from Chicago area high schools to study for a month at the Sorbonne Cours de Langue et de Civilization. The scholarship pays all expenses including travel, housing, tuition and daily expenses,” Frydenlund said.
“The students come from across the Chicago area from any school be it public or private, and it is based entirely on excellence and the students ability to profit from the experience. The winners must be 18 when they go to Paris, and not have a French parent to make sure they didn’t grow up speaking French at home. When we meet with them we ask them to respond in French with questions like who their favorite artist is or how they got involved with French culture. And they ask us questions, too.”
To date, there are more than 100 laureates, many of whom come back for the June awards ceremony to honor the winners. “They are practicing a variety of careers, including professor, translator, doctor, surgeon, lawyer, financial professional, consultant and entrepreneur. What they all have in common is a great love of France,” she commented. “In some years we have been able to send three students. We hope to build our endowment so that we can do this each year.”
“The students are selected by a very rigorous process. The American Association of French Teachers exam is our first step. We choose the top six senior students by their grades in the exam. We ask them to prepare essays in French for review by the McCormick committee, and finally, we invite them to attend an interview session at the Alliance conducted by the entire committee. The two students who perform best in several categories are selected to spend the month of July at the Sorbonne. Originally, the program allowed French students to study American culture in the United States as well.”
Francine Saltoun is Chairman Emerita of the program, which also includes Conery Hoffman, the Alliance’s Director of Special Progrmas, Rosalee Gentile, Ted Haldeman, Aida Lutfi, Betsey Pinkert and Matthew Griffin, a McCormick Scholar in 1999.
“As chair of the committee, I would say that this scholarship is an enduring memorial to a great Francophile, Roger McCormick, who left us at 43, while a scholarship given in his memory has continued for 55 years and has over 100 lauréats,” Frydenlund said.
From their summer dorms in Paris Aldo Magana from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and Gabija Federavivius from Hoffman Estates High School.
Outreach and work with students is an Alliance cornerstone. In addition to the McCormick Awards for Excellence the Alliance also has offered for almost 25 years an after-school enrichment program to motivated students from Chicago public schools. For two years the students meet weekly for classes taught by native French speaker. At the end of the program, qualifying students can compete for a scholarship trip to France of an intensive immersion stat at the Concordia Language Villages.
To learn more about the Alliance Francaise and their programs, visit: af-chicago.org
