SUNY Oswego student Carolyn Adams recently earned a 2026 national scholarship from Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society, supporting an outstanding summer abroad opportunity in France.
Hoping to teach French one day, Adams –- a childhood education major with a concentration in French and a French minor –- sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I am most looking forward to being able to immerse myself not only in French culture, but other surrounding cultures as well," Adams said. "I am looking forward to interacting with the locals, trying delicacies native to the region and discovering the beauty that resides in southern France."
Adams earned the Joseph W. Yedlicka Scholarship, valued at approximately $12,000, to support her summer study at the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence. The award includes tuition, housing and board, plus a $1,000 travel grant.
The scholarship is open to members of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society.
“It’s a highly competitive award and a wonderful accomplishment for both Carolyn and the department,” said Candis Haak, director of the School of the Humanities and a history faculty member.
“Carolyn stood out as a devoted student from the very beginning,” said Lenuta Giukin, an associate professor of modern languages and literatures. “Her passion for French and a remarkable determination to surpass herself opened a path to outstanding achievements.”
Giukin serves as Adams’ advisor for the French minor and has taught her in several classes, enjoying Adams’ continued progress.
“It has been truly inspiring to watch her unwavering dedication, driven by her dream of connecting with the world beyond the classroom,” Giukin noted. “As her professor, I could not be prouder of her devotedness, perseverance, academic successes and the superb achievement of earning a prestigious national award.
“She's also my minor advisor, so I've been able to get to know her very well, and she encouraged me to become a tutor,” Adams said of Giukin. “All the faculty members in the department are all very close. They're very encouraging when it comes to opportunities.“
The scholarship was made possible by the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, which paid for all of the Oswego students who wanted to join the honor society. Giukin told Adams about the scholarship, and encouraged and supported the application.
“She's always just trying to get us to get as many opportunities as we can,” Adams said of Giukin. “And you can tell she loves her students because she’s always trying to just get us as far as we can go.”
“This moment represents the culmination of years of hard work, trust and shared commitment, and it is incredibly meaningful to see her reach this milestone,” Giukin said.
The summer program, which will include Adams staying with a host family, will run from late May through mid-July.
Love for teaching
Adams has a longstanding interest in teaching language. She started at SUNY Oswego as an adolescence education major, wanting to teach French to middle and high school students, but “I've worked with kids for the past five years, and I just love them,” Adams said. “So I decided to change the age range, but keep the minor in the concentration in hopes to get certified for both ages eventually.”
That devotion comes from a realization that the world needs more people to encourage the study of other languages and cultures.
“I feel like there's such a shortage of language teachers right now,” Adams said. “I feel like if people gave it a chance, there would be a lot more interest, because it's so cool. And it's not just language you're studying. You’re also studying culture, which is a big part of it. I think it's a big opportunity to be able to study another culture and then eventually, if you have the chance, to put yourself in it.”
Adams really enjoys her education courses and the professors who teach them.
“Every education professor I've had has been amazing, and I just love them all,” Adams said. “They're all so supportive and they understand what we're going through when we talk about our placements and stuff like that. I love what I'm doing and I love our education community.”
Hailing from Hilton near Rochester, Adams applied to several SUNY schools but visiting Oswego, taking a tour and speaking to people in the education program clinched the decision.
“It's not super small, but it's not super big either,” Adams said. “And I like the scenery and I like the layout. It's nice because, obviously, something that pulls a lot of people here is the lake. I like the lake, but I also like how much nature we have here. The view out my window is Glimmerglass Lagoon, which is amazing.”
While studies will be a priority while staying in Provence, Adams hopes to see more of Europe, as trips to Paris as well as places like Spain and Italy interest her.
As icing on the cake, Adams said her family is interested in visiting, as it will be the first opportunity they all will have to see Europe.
“I didn't even have a passport before this. I got my password over winter break,” Adams said. “When I told my family I got the scholarship, they all got their passports, because we've never been out of the country, as a family, besides Canada. It's a good opportunity, not just for me, but for my family who can come visit.”
