Published August 28, 2019
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — While most high school graduates spend their summers working close to home, Lynnfield High School Class of 2019 Valedictorian Zoe Chen decided to work in France.
Chen recently returned home after working as an au pair there.
“As it’s the summer before college, I wanted to do something completely different and out of my comfort zone to hopefully get into a more open mindset,” said Chen in an email sent to the Villager. “When the opportunity popped up, thanks to some friends of my French teacher, Ms. Seavey, I decided to take it.”
Chen said she wanted to live in France for the summer because she wanted to learn more about the country’s culture and language.
“I really wanted to be immersed as much as I could in the language and culture,” said Chen. “After taking French for a few years at school, I figured living in France might be the best way to understand the language and practice it. I also was excited to live in the south, in the same landscapes and surroundings where some of my favorite artists had painted.”
LHS CLASS OF 2019 Valedictorian Zoe Chen stands in a sunflower field outside of Uzès, France this summer. She spent the summer working in France as an au pair. (Courtesy Photo)
While working in France, Chen said she “spent some time near the coast in a student-city called Montpellier.” She also worked in Uzès, which she said is “a beautiful small town not far from Avignon and Nimes.”
Chen said working and living in France was an incredibly enjoyable experience. She loved meeting new people and observing beautiful art.
“Seeing how other people live and view life was so interesting,” said Chen. “You get to hear stories of families whose ancestors had lived in the same town since medieval times. I talked with Gilet Jaune protestors and experts from all over. The general feeling I got was that people lived life slowly, but so introspectively with appreciation for every moment.
“The art of course was amazing. There seemed to always be an exhibition, museum or studio to visit. In particular, the Carrières de Lumières was breathtaking. I also visited the city where Van Gogh did 180 pieces and infamously cut off his ear.”
Chen noted that French food is delicious.
“There are some great foods like fougasse, which the local bakery of Uzès specializes in,” said Chen. “It’s kind of a pretzel-shaped croissant dish with anything from olives to duck inside. There also seems to be some sort of unspoken law against keeping bread longer than one day, so a fresh baguette was a daily constant. And the quality of normal products like goat cheese, strawberries and beets was so much better than what I was accustomed to. Ripe apricots would litter the streets after a particularly windy day. There were also some rather unique specialties like horse meat and fromage de tête (head cheese).”
Chen said the most rewarding part of living in France for the summer was “experiencing the everyday life.”
“After being there so long, I really got to know the area well and it became a second home,” said Chen. “My time there was devoid of the luxury and leisure of living as a tourist, but everything felt more authentic and real. Biking around town and practically living in swimming pools during the heat wave made for some valuable memories. I’m really appreciative that I got to know and really understand a place halfway across the world.”
Chen also noted her French improved this summer.
“Being in France definitely relaxed how I use my French,” said Chen. “In school, we learned the grammar and vocabulary. In France, the necessity of communication pushed me to say whatever I could, even if it wasn’t perfect. I felt a lot more at ease with just thinking on the spot and talking spontaneously with taxi drivers, the local cheesemakers, anyone. Almost all of the French people I talked to gave support and positive reactions when I spoke with them. I don’t know if I’m completely fluent — I think fluency is an ever-going process — but I’ve definitely learned so much and am at a good conversational level.”
With summer drawing to a close, Chen is getting ready to begin her freshman year at Dartmouth College.
“I remember passing by the campus every time on my way to Vermont, and it stayed in the back of my mind ever since,” said Chen. “I think I gravitated toward it because I met some really cool, kind people during my visits and its departments are really strong in my areas of interest. I’m someone who likes being in a tight community and living with the New England seasons for the most part. The diversity of activities, backgrounds and courses was important to me as well. And finally, I wanted to be somewhere where I could continue practicing art along with other subjects like science or government. Dartmouth offered all those things to me and more.”
Chen has yet to declare a major.
“I’m interested in studying both studio art and science, but I’m also curious about government, language and history,” said Chen. “I think I’m going to take some time to explore these areas and get to know the career options in these fields.”
Chen is an incredibly talented artist who has won numerous competitions including the Sixth Congressional District Art Contest during her sophomore year at LHS. She also won the “Best in Show” Award during the Lynnfield Art Guild’s 54th annual Spring Judged Show in May. Chen’s art was recognized during a visit to New York City this summer.
“I went to New York with Scholastic Art before I went to France,” said Chen. “I was excited to have received some national medals and a New York Life scholarship/award for pieces from my senior art portfolio. It was cool to meet all the other artists and writers across the country and be recognized in a place as historic as Carnegie Hall. I also finished Advanced Placement 2D design as a sort of guinea pig for the new AP Studio Art class at LHS. I think the results really paid off after a long year of hard work and I’m excited for other students in the future to get to experience it. I’ve been involved in art classes throughout high school, art volunteering, and I hope to study art in some capacity this year.”
