Louis Gaucher is a third year student at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and is on exchange at the University of Washington. “I came here because my university in France requires that we spend our third year abroad. I chose Seattle to discover the American West, and its gigantic side”, Louis recounts. His areas of study at Sciences Po include political science, sociology, history, economics and law. For leisure, Louis enjoys reading historical fiction, playing tennis and above all traveling. “Travelling”, he explains, “is a wonderful experience for political change and action. From seeing and observing the world you get a better viewpoint and analysis on your own country and the ways to change it.”
Louis attributes his interest in Europe to the fact that he was born and raised there. “Thanks to Europe”, he recalls, “my different schools could organize trips within Europe that brought me to Spain and Ireland.” These school trips and easy travel within the EU motivated him to study Europe. After his undergrad, Louis plans to continue his education in Europe in the field of territorial politics. He plans to stay and work in Europe upon completion of all his studies, but looks back fondly upon his time in the US. “The best experience I will ever have is the one I acquired during my study abroad in the US, and from my trips abroad. Thanks to these kind of trips, I can see what I would like to do in Europe: what to protect and what to change.”