A group of California State University, Bakersfield students will be able to spend part of their summer studying in France thanks to donor support.
The Dennis and Anne Beaver Foundation has pledged $51,500 to the university for the Beaver Family French Scholarship Fund, which has provided scholarships to 10 students who will participate in a 10-day study abroad course in and around Paris to strengthen their knowledge of the French language and culture.
The trip is planned to take place at the end of June.
“I’m very grateful to the Beaver Foundation,” said Dr. Lena Taub Robles, who teaches French at CSUB and will be leading the trip. “They have shown support of the French program since I first arrived at CSUB six years ago. They are great friends of the university and of the program.”
The gift from the foundation will help fulfill CSUB’s priorities of supporting future leaders and fostering academic excellence as part of the university’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which was publicly announced in October 2021. The goal of the campaign is to raise $55 million by July 2024 to transform the university.
Participating students will visit several well-known historical landmarks during the trip, including the Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, Latin Quarter as well as the underground Catacombs. They will complete readings, keep a journal, participate in daily discussions as well as write a paper as part of the class.
“Bakersfield has been good to us. We feel it’s so important to give back to the community in ways that really matter, and education is at the top of our list,” said Dennis Beaver, who practices law in Bakersfield and writes a syndicated consumer and legal affairs newspaper column called You and the Law. “France is an amazing country and Paris is a fantastic place. We hope this trip opens students’ minds to the importance of studying a foreign language.”
Since its establishment around 25 years ago, the Dennis and Anne Beaver Foundation has funded trips to France for high school students in Kern County and beyond, as well as for college students from several institutions, including Los Angeles Valley College and Pierce College.
Dennis Beaver has a degree in French from CSU Northridge and said studying the language was one of his most rewarding experiences. He wants to help students discover a love of France and foreign language.
“The greatest educational gift in my life has been French,” he said. “There is just no way to describe the joy of being in France — or here, in California —meeting native speakers, carrying on conversations, understanding and laughing at their stories and seeing how speaking their language well opens a door into knowing the French on a deep level. I want to help our CSUB students discover a love of France and foreign language.”
This is the second time that the foundation has funded a trip to France for CSUB students. In 2019, it supported a month-long trip to Lyon for two students. However, this is the first time the university has been able to offer a faculty-led trip to France.
“We’ve never done anything on this level, so it’s really exciting for us,” said Yuri Sakamaki, director of CSUB’s study abroad and Fulbright programs. “I think it will be a great experience for these students.”