Born and raised in the outskirts of Paris, France, Marie Denise François voyaged across the Atlantic to study at the College of Liberal Arts here at UMass Boston. She has recently changed her Major to Business Management, but her passion is art.

Marie Denise works part-time at our very own bookstore in the Campus Center. She says in France, students don’t have the opportunity to work full-time and go to school, which is the case with many UMB students. “In France, jobs either require a very low level of education or a very high level of education,” explains Marie Denise. The U.S. seems to have a middle ground.

As UMB is known for its rich diversity, Marie Denise believes racial barriers do exist. Based on her observations, she sees black people sitting together, Asian people together, and white people together. “I wish UMB was more of a community,” says Marie Denise. “People here are in their own bubble.”

Marie Denise desires to meet people who like art. “I don’t meet people who like art that aren’t Art majors.” She wished she could have majored in Art, but explained that in Haitian culture, one has to listen to their parents. In this case, her parents preferred her to be a business major. But at the very least, she can still take courses in art even though she it’s not her major. She explains that in France, one cannot take courses outside of their major.

She enjoys paintings as well as sculptures. Her favorite sculpture is entitled, “The Waltz” by sculptress Camille Claudele, who was the first woman to sculpt in France. She commented that Claudele’s work was much more impressive than her master, Auguste Rodin, who was famous! Some of her favorite painters include Van Gough and Renoir.

Marie Denise is critical of the business field. “Management is a self-interested world, where people are just out to make a profit,” says Marie Denise. But since she is studying International Management, she says she would like to learn more languages. At this time she can speak French (duh), English, and Spanish, but is attempting to learn Japanese and Chinese in her spare time.

Music is another passion of Marie Denise. She has been playing the piano for eight years. One aspect of Boston she enjoys is the abundance of concerts and clubs she can attend. This month she is planning to see The Dresden Dolls and Muse. But she is also a fan of The Ramones, The Clash and what she refers to as “Japanese Rock.” Japanese Rock bands include a band called Moi dix Mois.

Marie Denise is unsure whether she will stay in Boston after she graduates. She is sure that she needed the experience to leave her country, “By just staying in one culture makes you see the world in one way.”