[Rachel] Hey, my name is Rachel Hickman and I just recently graduated with a degree in French and finance
in December of 2009. I'm currently working for a Knoxville corporation using my finance degree
but I hope to one day work in international finance and possibly in France.
[Anne] Hi, my name is Anne Buckle. I'm a senior majoring in music education and college scholars.
Through college scholars I've developed my own major in international communication and relations
with a focus on France and western Europe. This past summer I was able to intern
at the State Department in Washington, D.C., for the office of western Europe.
And this coming summer I'll be working in Paris at the American Embassy.
We both want to say a special thank you to a professor who has meant a great deal to us.
Dr. Sebastien Dubriel, a professor of French in the department of modern foreign languages and literatures.
[Rachel] I had the privilege of first meeting Professor Dubreil during my freshman year.
He was one of many candidates that came and interviewed for an open position in the French department.
He gave a test lecture like the others to our French conversations class.
Afterwards we unanimously agreed that he was definitely the best. He was very engaging
and energetic during just one class period. Eventually the
administrators agreed as well and hired him for the position.
Throughout my four and a half years I had the privilege of taking several of his classes
and each of them was just as good as that first day. He's very
invested in his students and genuinely cares whether we learn or not. He
definitely challenges his students to succeed.
[Anne] I've had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Dr. Dubreil for four years now.
My freshman year of college I met Dr. Dubreil when he taught my French 421
phonetics class and ever since that fateful semester I've been working with him as a mentor
in my college scholars program. Not only was he an excellent teacher but he serves
as an excellent mentor outside of the classroom and helps me develop my course program
in my college scholars major. He's one of the warmest and most personable people I know
and he is an excellent mentor. His intelligence and passion for educating students makes him a
great teacher and someone who everyone wants to take a class with. He has been
such a significant part of our academic journeys here at UT and he's
one professor that we will remember for years to come.
[Rachel and Anne] Thanks Dr. Dubreil.