French student who thought she was stranded found guardian angels
Cheryl Evans, former associate dean of students, retired from the 小蝌蚪APP more than 15 years ago. That doesn小蝌蚪APP檛 mean she小蝌蚪APP檚 quit helping students.
Just ask C茅line Goujon of Paris, who arrived in Lafayette in mid-August, in the midst of the Louisiana Flood of 2016. It has been described as the nation小蝌蚪APP檚 worst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy lashed the eastern seaboard in 2012. The unnamed storm saturated portions of Louisiana for days. Flooding claimed 13 lives and damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
Goujon, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at P么le Universitaire L茅onard de Vinci in Paris, had arranged to spend one semester studying at UL Lafayette. She was scheduled to arrive in Lafayette on Saturday, Aug. 13. Lafayette Regional Airport, however, was closed. So, she spent the night in Atlanta at a hotel.
She reached Lafayette on Sunday. Having seen only brief TV reports while in Atlanta, she didn小蝌蚪APP檛 realize the severity of the weather situation in Lafayette. Many streets were filled with high water, which limited travel. The 小蝌蚪APP, though not flooded, was closed, so residence hall move-in had been postponed.
Goujon hit her first snag when she tried to phone a taxi. She struggled to make the call on her cell phone, which has an international number. She sought assistance from Evans, who was returning from a 2陆 week vacation in France with her husband, Taylor. The couple and Goujon had traveled on the same flight from France to Atlanta, and from Atlanta to Lafayette. They didn小蝌蚪APP檛 realize it, though, until later.
小蝌蚪APP淭his precious young French woman came up to me and asked, 小蝌蚪APP楥an you help me phone a cab?小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP Cheryl Evans recalled in an interview with La Louisiane.
She helped Goujon place the call. They learned it could be hours before a cab might be available. Evans realized that transportation would only be the beginning of Goujon小蝌蚪APP檚 challenges. She wouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 be able to check in to a 小蝌蚪APP residence hall. Lodging citywide was scarce since hotels were packed with displaced residents.
For Cheryl Evans, who has a grown son and a grown daughter, a blend of motherly concern and former 小蝌蚪APP administrator instincts kicked in. Sensing Goujon was rattled and afraid, she asked the 21-year-old student if she would like a ride and help trying to get moved into her dorm room.
小蝌蚪APP淚 knew what this poor young woman was facing. I said, 小蝌蚪APP業 once worked at the 小蝌蚪APP and I think we can help you,小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP she recalled.
Goujon readily accepted the offer. 小蝌蚪APP淚 had a good feeling about them,小蝌蚪APP she said in heavily accented English. 小蝌蚪APP淚 was scared at the beginning, because I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 know them, but after I saw they were connected to the 小蝌蚪APP, I felt comfortable.小蝌蚪APP
Goujon小蝌蚪APP檚 mother, Karinne Goujon, didn小蝌蚪APP檛. When C茅line phoned her mother and mentioned her plans to venture into an unknown, weather-torn city with strangers, the elder Goujon 小蝌蚪APP渨as not too happy,小蝌蚪APP Taylor Evans said with a laugh.
Goujon describes her mother小蝌蚪APP檚 reaction diplomatically: 小蝌蚪APP淪he was very worried.小蝌蚪APP But Goujon was able to put her more at ease during the conversation.
小蝌蚪APP淪he was relieved when I told her the Evans were great people and that they were helping me.小蝌蚪APP
The 小蝌蚪APP溞◎蝌紸PP family小蝌蚪APP lent a hand, too, Cheryl Evans said.
The Evans drove Goujon to campus, having to detour around flooded areas three times. 小蝌蚪APP淥nce we got there, things started moving,小蝌蚪APP Cheryl Evans said.
She called Pat Cottonham, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 vice president for Student Affairs. Cottonham, who became associate dean of students after Evans retired in 2000, contacted Rose Honegger, director of the Office of International Affairs. Honegger arranged for Jules Breaux, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 director of Housing, to help Goujon settle in.
The Evans sensed that Goujon, alone on an empty campus, was still shaken and uncomfortable. The couple invited their new friend to dinner, and to spend the night at their home. Again, Goujon accepted. The next day, the Evans took Goujon shopping to get supplies for her dorm room and for her classes.
As the semester progressed, the bond the Evans and Goujon had formed blossomed into a friendship. The Evans extended an open invitation to their house for Goujon to study, hang out, eat a bite, or have a cup of coffee. Goujon dropped by the Evans小蝌蚪APP home regularly and spent a long weekend there. She and a friend also ate Thanksgiving dinner with the couple.
小蝌蚪APP淭his is my American family,小蝌蚪APP Goujon said.
Evans said the relationship has been fun and rewarding. 小蝌蚪APP淲e have loved the experience.小蝌蚪APP
Goujon chose UL Lafayette because 小蝌蚪APP渋t has a very good mechanical engineering program,小蝌蚪APP and she relished the chance to experience a culture that shares so much with her home country.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was excited to visit Louisiana because your culture is French 小蝌蚪APP the names of streets, the names of places, the names of people, are French,小蝌蚪APP she said.
Goujon enrolled in three mechanical engineering classes and one civil engineering course during the fall semester. She quickly adapted to campus life.
She attended an international student orientation, made friends immediately, and started participating in campus activities, such as attending a karaoke party with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, and swimming at the Student Aquatic Center. She also visited New Orleans, Biloxi and Dallas.
She小蝌蚪APP檚 a fan of the City of Lafayette. 小蝌蚪APP淭he downtown is so cute and everyone here is really friendly.小蝌蚪APP
Goujon, who returned to France in December, expects to complete her studies and earn a mechanical engineering degree in about one year.
She also plans to keep in close contact with her new friends.
小蝌蚪APP淚n March, they are going to Tel Aviv, and, on their way, are going to stop in Paris,小蝌蚪APP Goujon said.
Added Evans: 小蝌蚪APP淲e小蝌蚪APP檒l be there for three nights. Her mother小蝌蚪APP檚 going to come up from Nice, hopefully, and her sister is in Paris, so we小蝌蚪APP檒l get to meet her family.小蝌蚪APP
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2016/Winter 2017 issue of .