MORE ABOUT JEANETTE
Graduation Date: June 2008
Hometown: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
High School: Elk Grove High School
Awards & Achievements:
- Schmitt Academic Scholarship (four consecutive years)
Campus Involvement:
- Latin American dance group, BAILE.
Current Employment:
- DePaul University Department of Student Housing office assistant
Jeanette Pena
Area of Study:Marketing and French
I chose my major because... I was always interested in math. I knew that I didn’t want to major in Mathematics so I narrowed my options by choosing to enter into the College of Commerce. I decided on marketing because I felt that it would allow for more opportunities to deal with the creative aspects of business. I also chose to major in French because I had been taking it for seven years prior to starting at DePaul. It was something I felt passionate about and I knew that enhancing my language skills would only help my future prospects.
My favorite thing to do on campus is... working out at the Ray Meyer Fitness & Recreation Center. Whenever I have time in my schedule, I definitely make an effort to take advantage of the Ray.
I decided to attend DePaul because… I wanted to be close to my family, and I was not ready to attend an out-of-state school upon graduating high school. Also, I love Chicago. I think that it is a beautiful city. There is a lot to do and so much culture and diversity.
My favorite professor at DePaul is... Madame Pascale-Anne Brault. She is a professor in the Department of Modern Languages. She pushes her students to excel and to be better French speakers. I took a couple of classes with her, but the one that stands out is Translation. That class definitely made me become a better French translator and writer.
When I have free time, I like to... relax and unwind. This is especially helpful on those really stressful days. Sometimes I like to read a book of my choice, not one assigned in class. This allows me to forget about upcoming deadlines and assignments.
My favorite thing to do off campus is... go around the city and explore. It’s funny that I have lived in or near Chicago nearly all of my life, and there is still so much I need to see.
One thing I didn’t know about DePaul before coming was... how all the train and bus lines run and how helpful they are in navigating through Chicago.
Here, the diversity of students, faculty and staff... is astounding. My high school was diverse in terms of student population, but not as diverse as DePaul. The faculty diversity at my high school is nowhere near as diverse as DePaul.
The greatest thing about going to school in Chicago is... how quickly you can be transported from one “region of the world” to another via cuisine found in certain areas of the city such as Pilsen, Chinatown and Greektown.
At DePaul, service learning is... very important and very accessible. I attended the Vincentian Service Day a few years ago, and it allows for students to see a different part of the city by volunteering and making a difference at least for a day.
The Study Abroad Program is such an attractive option because... it provides students with the opportunity to learn a great deal about another country. Not only are students able to change their educational settings and take classes in a new country, but also they are able to gain a first-hand account on that country’s culture, people and history. I always knew that I wanted to study abroad. The French language and DePaul’s program helped to provide a gateway to accomplishing that goal.
I'll most remember my Study Abroad experience because... There is no single thing I will remember most. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Walking down the Champs-Élysées every day, eating banana-nutella crepes, watching the sunset from the Pont des Arts and taking a stroll in Montmartre will forever be engraved in my memory. I lived through countless experiences in Paris that will forever stay in my heart and mind. My experience studying abroad forced me to look at life in a different light. It is through that time that I have grown tremendously.
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