Meet the “French Fries”

Since early July, five French civil engineering students, affectionately dubbed the “French Fries” by our construction crew, have been volunteering their time on Tacoma Habitat construction sites.

Julie, Zoe, Theo, Arthur and Florian are in their second year of engineering school at CESI in Bourdeaux, France. Their program is a three-year apprenticeship where they spend two months working for a French organization followed by one month of school. In France, they are apprentice site managers or project managers in building construction or public works – all with different organizations. Florian, for example, is an apprentice project construction manager for a Cognac producer. His job is building Cognac facilities.

As part of their schooling, the students are required to spend three months volunteering in an English-speaking country, which gives them credentials to work overseas. “We have to take a test in English at the end of our schooling,” explains Zoe. “It is rigorous.”

Though they’ve worked hard, contributing over 900 volunteer hours in less than 10 weeks, the “French Fries” have also enjoyed their free time in America. They’ve been hiking, visited Long Beach and Vancouver Island, took in a rodeo in Omak, and went axe throwing with the Habitat construction crew. One of their favorite activities has been simply jumping into American Lake to cool off after hot days working in Tillicum.

The group looks forward to more bonding opportunities with the Habitat team before returning to France later this month, and they continue to find things to marvel at. “Everything in America is huge,” says Zoe. “Cars. Places. America is huge!”