I have always had an interest in different cultures, differences in societies around the world, and how people act/do things differently around the world. I believe that I attribute this to all of my parent’s Spanish speaking friends. They are probably also the reason I minor in Spanish in hopes to become fluent and travel the world. Because of this interest, I was so excited to meet and become friends with Marvin Agoh, a foreign exchange student in my Spanish class, and have the opportunity to learn about differences in his country and culture.

Marvin Agoh is a foreign exchange student from Paris, France, spending the year studying here at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Marvin lived a busy and exciting life in Paris, as he balanced being a student, a semi- professional basketball player, and working for a model agency.

In France, he was studying business management and will be getting his specialty (most comparable to the American version of a ‘minor’) in finance. His career goal is to be an asset manager. He describes himself as very ambitious in obtaining his goals. His classmate and friend, Jacob Franklin, can attest to this ambition as he jokingly calls him a perfectionist. Marvin is the definition of "work hard play hard". When he has fun, he has fun, but nothing is more important than his work and improving his English.

Marvin says that this foreign exchange experience will help him in many ways. First off, he says it will help him improve his English; a criteria for his career choice.

He says this will also be a beneficial addition to his resume. “Traveling abroad here and getting this experience is a positive asset to companies I may apply to jobs for. They like to see things like this”, he explained.

Within the time he has spent here, Marvin says he has been enjoying his classes, particularly his business law class, where he finds learning about the differences between American and French government systems fascinating. He also is intrigued and feels that he will benefit from the teaching style here. He says that he likes the fact that here, the teachers are more present for their students. “You can call them, email them, whatever. In France, there is a lot less interaction between the students and teachers”, he explained.

Though he has only been in America for approximately half a semester, he is enjoying his experience here so far. There are many things that he likes about America from the weather to the environment and culture of Lafayette. Something that surprised him when he arrived was how much of an influence the French had on the culture here in Louisiana. He says he appreciates this due to the fact that American culture is very influential in Paris as well.

The American influence in France is a large reason why he chose America as the country where he wanted to study abroad. Marvin says that he has “always wanted to come here because he likes the American way of life. How you speak, what you do, how you live.” He goes on to give the example of the American college “way of life”, as he explains, “Here in college, there are a lot of events such as parties, tailgates, football games and more. In France, there is no student life,” he says, “You go to class. You go back home, and that is all.” He continues to say that “In France, everyone sees American people as our models.” He says that many in France listen to American music and watch American movies. I can attest to this as, during one of our first encounters, we came to the revelation that they enjoyed many of the same television shows.

One of the biggest differences between France and America, Marvin explains, are the people. He says he likes that “Americans are more friendly, more open-minded, and more free to live their lives.” In America, he likes that people are more comfortable in their skin, whereas in France, there is an emphasis on the importance of appearance and what other people think. He gives the example, “When you go out in Paris, you cannot wear jeans and a T-shirt. But here, you can.” He jokingly adds, “I like it better that way, though because it makes it easier for me to dance.”

In addition to candy being more expensive here in America, there are other things that will take Marvin time to get accustomed to. One aspect he touched on was the evident racial tensions that exist here. “White people are with white people and black people are with black people”, he says. This was one of the first things he said that he and his other friends from France, also studying here, noticed.

Marvin feels that the crime rate here in America is higher as well. He said that the other day his family called him worried due to the fact that a documentary on the crime rate in New Orleans was aired in Paris. He said, though he noticed these dangers on a recent visit to Bourbon St. in New Orleans, he enjoyed his experience there regardless. In fact, he says that his visit to New Orleans has been his favorite experience so far while in America.

Other cities that he hopes to visit during his time here in America include Miami, California, and New York.