The 44th Floor

This year’s annual IEP board meeting was scheduled to be in France. It would be the first time that the IEP meeting would be held in France and it was very exciting because I was going to be able to meet up with everyone! I was asked to talk at the meeting about my internship and experience in France. I met up with everyone on Thursday May 11^th.  I met them at the hotel, which by the way was gorgeous. I had been looking for Angela when I came across Dean Wright (the Dean of Engineering) sitting in the lobby. So I went up and talked with him for a little while before everyone else made their way down. Turns out it was his first time in France.

                Once I had my little IEP reunion with Angela and Katie, the whole group went to Total. Total has had a number of French IEP students intern with them during their year abroad. I actually work for a subsidiary of Total.  We headed to the headquarters in La Defense, which is right outside of Paris. Our meeting was held on the 44^th floor (the top floor) and the view from the conference room was breathtaking. One of the Total workers whom we were with, said that it was her first time to have a meeting on the 44^th floor. It is only reserved for special occasions. I gave my presentation without a problem. I wasn’t even nervous, which was probably a first for me. I was just so excited to see familiar faces and tell everyone what I have been doing. Everyone said I did a great job. Katie said that I was a natural and looked so relaxed to be talking in front of so many important people such as the Deans and President Dooley, the President of URI. Who me? I don't like to talk!

                After the meeting, Total treated the IEP board to a dinner cruise along the Seine. I had never done this before, so it was a great experience. When you first boarded the boat, they handed you a glass of champagne. At that moment I knew that this was going to be a fantastic dinner. As the evening wore on, we mingled with our glasses of never ending champagne, hors d’oeuvres and the sun setting against the Eiffel Tower. I felt like I was in a movie! It was amazing. We then went below and had a lovely dinner and I got to catch up with Katie and Angela and also some of the others. It was pretty awesome to be talking to the Board, the Deans and President Dooley, who is such a nice guy and is quite funny too. Not many people can say that they have ever met their President, let alone share stories over champagne. I felt so important! The whole day was just perfect. I had the pleasure of staying at the hotel that night with everyone else. Unfortunately in the morning I had to work and wouldn’t be able to spend the day with everyone. Thanks to the IEP for giving me such a fantastic day :)