ROD

SCHOLARSHIP & EXPATRIATION

MY BACKGROUND

THE BEGINNING

Calvi (Corsica), the place where I grew up until I was 2 years old. (1998-2001)

Before I tell you my story, you have to know my background. As a reminder, my name is Rodolph. I was born in Corsica on June 29, 1998, also called the island of beauty with my twin sister Jeanne. My father was a soldier in the foreign legion, so he moved around a lot. However, I am not originally from Corsica. My mother is French of Tunisian origin and has always lived in the southwest of France (small town called Castelnaudary). My father is Belgian and knew my mother in his small town. My father was transferred to Corsica and this is how we landed in Corsica as a starting point!

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After his service in Corsica, my father was transferred to French Guyana and more specifically to the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment in Kourou. I was 2 years old when I arrived. We were initially only supposed to stay there for 2 years but my parents separated and our mother took our custody and decided to stay and settle in French Guiana. So I lived all my childhood in French Guiana with my mother and sister. Today my mother still lives there and is a teacher at the college.

My childhood in French Guiana

Kourou (French-Guiana), the place of my childhood.

(2001-2015)

LEARN MORE ABOUT FRENCH GUIANA

MY FEELING ABOUT FRENCH GUIANA

Living in French Guiana has been an incredible experience. This French territory in the heart of the Amazon taught me a lot and allowed me to evolve. I made friends from different cultures and origins. French Guiana is a place where several cultures mix and live in communion. There are many people from all over Latin America and the Caribbean such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique and the Dominican Republic. There are also the Creole ancestors of colonization and African peoples. In addition, a Chinese and Hmong community is very present and makes it possible to make trade and agriculture live. It is a rich, fertile and preserved land, composed of countless plant and animal species. It is a tropical land, 90% of which is forest and natural resources.

Some pictures of my life in French Guiana

Timeline

Scolarship & expatriation

From South America to Europe

Childhood & School

I have spent most of my life in French Guiana to this day. I have made incredible friends and have been able to forge eternal ties. I grew up here, and I have an eternal attachment to this place. I often go back there on vacation to see my mother and friends.

2001-2016

2017-2019

I went to Bordeaux after passing a business school entrance exam in an international management program at KEDGE Business School. Bordeaux is a young and dynamic city. I discovered student parties and made great friends. It is a very beautiful city, made of white stones and bordered by the Garonne river like Toulouse. My network grew considerably in business school and I was accepted for a double degree in Canada. Bordeaux will remain a favorite.

Student in Bordeaux

Go back in AMERICA

I arrived in Canada in Ottawa in January 2019. I had never seen so much snow in my life, having lived most of my life in French Guiana in a tropical and very humid place. The change was radical and that is what I liked. I was immediately inserted into the North American culture. Everything seemed so big and different to me. The University of Ottawa campus was huge with very advanced sports facilities. I was able to discover field hockey, American soccer and the famous beaver tails. Canadians are really very open and friendly people.

January-December 2019

2016-2017

After my scientific high school diploma, I entered the University of Sciences of Toulouse. Toulouse is a city in the southwest of France bordered by the Garonne River. It is called the Pink city because it is mainly made of red brick and tile roof that give it that pinkish hue. Being a person very interested in nature and science, I went to study biology. It's a very interesting field but I quickly realized that it was business that attracted me.

Student in Toulouse

Some pictures from the Ottawa area

Scolarship & expatriation

Internship in Brussels

As part of my double degree with the University of Ottawa, I went on an internship for an initially planned duration of 6 months. I completed my internship at the 5 star luxury hotel le Châtelain in the Sales and Marketing department. Because of the Covid health crisis I only stayed 3 months in Belgium. Indeed following this pandemic the tourism sector and more particularly the hotel sector was strongly affected. The consequences were felt very quickly and most hotels had to close down for an indefinite period of time. In spite of this crisis, the internship at the Châtelain greatly professionalized me and I came out of it stronger with skills in risk and crisis management. Brussels is a European capital where life is good and this is mainly thanks to the people who live there. I have been able to initiate myself and discover the world of luxury and I have established strong ties with the hotel staff. I made very interesting friends within my roommate and enriching outside encounters. I look forward to returning there when the context will allow it.

January-March 2020

April 2020- TODAY

Following the implementation of the containment I stayed all summer in Nice where I have family and friends. In spite of this precarious situation I was able to have a good vacation once the containment stopped and the measures were relaxed. Friends came to visit me and thanks to the proximity to the sea, I was able to go swimming and sunbathing regularly. I spent a quiet and pleasant vacation. I took the opportunity to discover a little more of the French Riviera. After this hectic period, the University of Ottawa has decided not to reopen its doors in person for the 2020-2021 academic year. I am therefore continuing the rest of my distance education while waiting for the end of my double degree and the beginning of my Master's degree in France.

Vacation and distance learning in Nice, French Riviera

Back in Europe

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MY TRIPS