In January, the two students were pre-selected in the “Trophées des ambassadeurs” competition organised by the Ile-de-France region. The goal of the competition is to have participating students promote the city of Paris and its region while studying abroad, the target audience being the local students.
Marie and Ophélie loved the idea of helping US and international students learn about Paris. They named their project “Paris is charming”, launched an Instagram account (
@paris_is_charming) and made sure their many other creative ideas came to life.
Ophélie created a 30-page magazine to provide insight into a variety of topics related to life in Paris. She included many activities and key places to visit, along with lifestyle tips and a few traditional French recipes. She also added a seven-day and weekend travel guide, with advice and recommendations she collected through a survey.
Marie decided to focus on the creation of a scrapbook, as well as
a YouTube video. In her video, she interviewed several NC State students on campus, asking them what they think of Paris and what stereotypes come to mind. She also provided insight into what student life is like in Paris. Her video is currently exhibited at the iPearl Immersion Theater of the
James B. Hunt Library, NC State’s state-of-the-art library located a few minutes away from the SKEMA campus.