3 young interns, 3 distinct experiences

The Roanoke/St-Lô committee asks interns to provide us with a brief, written report. We want to know their impressions of life in a foreign country and whether or not they’d recommend the experience to others.Following are the reflections of our 2022 interns.

Alice came out of her shell, made lots of memories

By Alice Lemière (Visited Roanoke in April-July 2022)

I think during this time I learned the importance of making memories regardless if these memories are joyful, funny, or even sad. Traveling alone from France to the USA, meeting new people, dealing with the English language and learning to accept that it’s okay if I make some mistakes sometimes, discovering the American life and even more! All of these things full of memories have taught me so much, and I hope have made me better thanI was before.It took a while when I came back to France to realize that this travel was a real journey during which I grew up. I used to be one of the shyest persons, I was not able to discuss with strangers without shaking my legs! And now when I look back on my journey I’m proud of having been able to handle this issue. I know now that I made the right choice when I told my mother, “I want to go to the USA and not just for vacation but for discovering and integrating myself into American life.” And I would like to thank the Sister Cities organizations –Peggy, Ann, Jeanine –and the American and French teachers, Mrs. Rebecca Wright, Mrs. Sophie Pradat –for helping me find my amazing host family, the Conroy family of Salem. They are my hostparents Jennifer and Kevin, my host sister Leah and their dog Aspen. They were so welcoming and lovely with me and made me feel like at home!The Conroy family introduced me to their life and the American life. They took me to a baseball game, to the big American grocery stores like Walmart, to the D-Day memorial and even to a dance rehearsal! I tasted my first ice cream sandwich and went to my first concert with them, that was a band that sang songs by Queen.With them I also became used to the life in Virginia and so I am now used to seeing squirrels and deer crossing the road! Virginia is a really beautiful state. There we can find mountains, lakes, a rich flora and fauna and beautiful roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway. So I definitely recommend this place!I had the chance to go to Glenvar High School, which is my host sister’s school. Thanks to that I discovered the American school, I watched soccer games, met new people and made good friends. I learned some cooking tips from Leah’s cooking class.I also stayed one week at Mrs. Wright’s house while my host family was on an already planned trip. I looked after and played with her children who were really nice with me. I think being surrounded by kids has improved my English level, even if it was only one week. During this week I went to downtown Roanoke to discover the local shops, cafes and some landmarks.Near the end of my stay I had the chance to go to a summer camp. There I enjoyed fishing, swimming, water games, worship, a camp fire with the traditional s’mores.

These are just some, not all, of my memories from the USA. I wish to everyone to live an experience like this one day.

Alice Lemièrewith her host sister, Leah Conroy, at Alice’s first baseball game, at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Working with horses and outdoors appealed to Angèle

By Angèle Cahu (Interned in Roanoke in August 2022)

In August 2022 I had the chance to go to the United States for a month in the city of Roanoke thanks to its twinning with the city of Saint-Lô. I was hosted by a family there, Chris and Betsy Bohannon,and was able to do internships.My first internship was as a volunteer at Healing Strides, an equestrian center specializing in helping people with disabilities. My second internship was with the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, a company that works to preserve the landscape in Virginia. In my first internship, I was able to accompany the teachers and take care of the horses. At the Land Conservancy I had the opportunity to discover new landscapes and hikes in beautiful places.I also had the chance to spend a week at Glenvar High School where I was able to attend classes like a real American student.This experience is really unforgettable, I met many interesting people, I discovered a country and a culture that I did not know. I had the opportunity to improve my English level while participating in internships and activities that interested me. The fact that I was hosted by a family gave me many more opportunities to practice my English.I discovered the daily life and habits of people living thousands of miles away from home. I recommend this adventure to anyone who wants to meet people, improve their English, and discover a new culture. And I thank all the people who were involved in this trip, without whom this experience would not have been the same.

Angèle and Camille helped Kiwanians pack 110 backpacks with school supplies.Angèle’s host family, Chris and Betsy Bohannon, are long-timemembers of Kiwanis International.

Joann Dean (front), a friend of Sherrie Henshaw, gave Angèle and Camille an incredible tour of Virginia Tech. The tour coincided with move-in day for the cadets.

On Aug. 15, 2022, Angèleaddressed Roanoke City Council. She described her Roanoke experiences, and several council members expressed sympathy for the long, difficult journey –complete with a missed flight –from France to Roanoke.

Future Hokies? The interns’ tour of Va. Tech included a visit to E. Scott, a behavioral psychologist.

Camille found it easy to keep busy and have fun, too

By Camille Timerie (Interned in Roanoke in August 2022)

In August, Angèleand I juggled between the discovery of the fabulous Roanoke Valley’s landscapes and the infrastructures that welcomed us and allowed usa cultural and human enrichment as we rarely experience. Everything a city could dream of! Let’s start from the beginning. Meeting [my first host parents]Tim and Sherrie Henshaw was a breathof fresh air after a long trip from Paris to Roanoke. Their enthusiastic welcome at their house for mehonors the first experience I had of the United-States of America. Indeed, one of the things that I appreciated the most during my days therewas talking to Sherrie when she was taking me to the Taubman Museum in the morning, where I was doing my first internship. We would ride from Roanoke County to downtown, where I was admiring all the different architectures,which were very different from a building to another. Speaking of architecture, the Taubman museum’s design honorsthe mountains that surround Roanoke and the rail road history of the city. The museum housesa permanent collection of 2,000 art works including 19th-centuryand early 20th-century American art, as well as significant modern and contemporary art. The internshipgave me the opportunity to help out the people who are taking care of these collections and I feel very proud to have been a part of the several initiatives. There is always something going on there,and we can safely say that the Taubman museum is one bustling place! Halfway through my stay, the time to switch family was coming. After two wonderful weeks with Timand Sherrie and at the Taubman, I arrived at [the home of] JoeCobband JamesMatthews and their children, Ginny and JJ. It was also time to start another internship, very different from the last one, in local government, for the City of Roanoke. I was honored by the chanceto speak in front ofthe City Council where my hostJoe Cobb is a member. At the city Idid a tour of some of the departments the local government is composed of. From planning department, passing by economic development and Fire/EMS to public transportation and city management, I had lots of things to do and also a lot of fun.In the meantime, Angèle and I had some time to visit the areas nearby, so thanks to Ann and Bill Hackworth and Joe and James who took us hiking several times. I highly recommend this activity if you want to take some height! It was also a pleasure to visit with Peggy Wells the D-Day memorial. It feels special to find some of our history so far from home.If I have to conclude, I could only say thank you all at the sister city committee, who did all the arrangements to give us this incredible opportunity and I hope to go back there someday!