For four months, every person that walked in the front doors at EC San Francisco was greeted by Laura, our amazing summer intern. Laura was here for an internship for her university located in Grenoble, France. She did an amazing job running the front desk, making sure everything ran smoothly at all times and always managing to do so with a smile. She also had the ability to finding the humor in even the most stressful situations. All English schools should be so lucky as to have an intern like Laura: EC SF hasn’t been the same since she left us at the end of August, and we miss her very, very much!
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Now that Laura has been back home in France for several weeks, we asked for an update on how she is doing, and to share what she most enjoyed about her EC experience, and if she experienced any culture shock upon returning back to France.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Laura. I am a French student, and I am doing a Masters [degree] in Supply Chain Management. I live in Grenoble with a lovely-useless-fat-lazy cat. I have grown up with three amazing brothers. I am really curious in my everyday life, and I am passionate about discovering new culture and people.
What was your position at EC San Francisco? And how long were you here for?
I was an Intern. I was Student Services Counselor at the Front Desk, and I was there for 4 wonderful months.
What is your favorite memory of EC San Francisco?
I have so many good memories at EC SF that it is very hard for me to chose one. I would say maybe Monday mornings. I remember that everyone came with a big smile and a huge motivation, no matter how many new students we had. And starting a new week in this atmosphere is just great !!
Now that you have returned to France, what do you miss most about San Francisco?
Here again, there is many things to say… I miss the amazing people I met over there, I miss the atmosphere, people’s mentality in SF (no judgment, open-minded, kindness)… I miss also to do things on Sunday ! It is crazy how boring French Sunday is, there is nothing to do!
What surprised you most about returning home after living abroad for 4 months?
Oh-oh. I have to say bad things here… When I came back I realized that French people really always complain about everything. I already knew that we are « moaner/whiner » but I was surprised about how true it was. It seems that French Language has been invented to complain. Haha
What was the project you were working on while working here?
Beside the classic Front Desk tasks, I have been working on increasing our NPS score. I tried to figure out how we could use student feedback to deliver better services.
What was the most interesting thing you discovered working on your project?
The thing that interested me the most was the differences between cultures. I learnt that student satisfaction was closely linked to nationality. Students accorded importance to one thing or another depending on where they come from. It was very interesting to see what matters to some of students and what was the drivers for the others.
Thank you so much for answering our questions, Laura. And everyone here at EC SF wishes you the best of luck as you continue your studies, and hope to see you back here very, very soon!
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Learn more about English schools in America, and how to come study at EC San Francisco!