Students, faculty and donors gathered in the Visual and Performing Arts Center on April 10 for a benefit concert supporting De Anza College’s study abroad program.
California State Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, De Anza President Omar Torres and director of Global Education Partnerships John Swensson opened the event with speeches.
On behalf of the state of California, Ahrens recognized donors Karen Rudolph and Zafar Jeffrey for their support.
“It’s an honor to be investing in global education in a time where we need more of it than ever,” Ahrens said.
The concert began with duets from violinist Joseph Gold and pianist Carl Blake, and ended with solos from both artists.
Between songs, the two enthralled attendees with their humor and insight into each piece’s history and its composer’s life.
During a brief intermission, Gold discussed 17th-century Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli, cracking jokes and recounting stories of him before performing his sonata, “La Folia.”
The two performed compositions from Brazil and the Americas to Catalonia and Europe, aligning with the program’s theme of global engagement.
The program will include English writing, English literature and psychology classes as a way for students to explore both traditional and modern Paris.
Julie Pesano, English professor and assistant in the Global Education Partnerships program, said that in De Anza’s study abroad programs, students spend their mornings in class and in the afternoon they visit the places they learned about.
“It is a completely immersive experience,” Pesano, who studied at the University of Cambridge, said. “Here, you’re in the classroom, and it’s much more textbook, stationary, sedentary — there, the classroom is the city.”
Carissa Robinson, 20, psychology major, said they were excited to experience Paris through the program.
“I’m really interested in the museums,” Robinson said. “I went to Italy a while ago, and I thought it was really nice to see all the architecture.”
Paris is home to extensive art collections, including the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre.
Leona Tran, 26, economics major, said she visited Ecuador in 2023 through a previous De Anza study abroad trip.
Tran received a $500 scholarship raised through events like the benefit concert and donors, on top of a scholarship for her visa. Tran described her experience with the program as transformative.
“Traveling and studying the language and the cultures, it changes you. It changes how you see things,” Tran said. “If everyone has the chance to, I would very much encourage it.”
Students interested in the Paris study abroad program can visit the program’s website.
