About
Gabrielle (Gabi) Moreau is from Gurnee, Illinois, but largely grew up abroad in Italy and South Korea. With a passion for French language and deep interest in international affairs, she graduated from Carroll College in 2019 with a B.A. in International Relations and French.
During her time at Carroll, she completed a semester abroad in Meknès, Morocco to study French and Arabic. Throughout the semester, Gabrielle helped to create the first English teaching program at a local boarding school and also interned at a hospital acting as a translator between English-speaking volunteers and local staff. Gabrielle continued to focus more on the francophone world, particularly French-speaking Africa.
She interned for the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad assisting potential students in coming to the U.S. for higher education, and supported the development of French-language social media outreach efforts for the U.S. Embassy as well as informational videos for students interested in studying in the U.S. Diving deeper into Franco-Chad relations, Gabrielle researched France’s justifications for its continued military presence in Chad and if this presence could be classified as Neo-Colonialism. Her final semester at Carroll was not in Helena; Gabrielle studied at Université catholique de l'Ouest in Angers, France to experience greater immersion and improve her language skills before beginning her post-grad career.
After graduation, Gabrielle worked as a Global Relocation Consultant at SIRVA Worldwide Relocation in Chicago, Illinois. She interacted with individuals from various countries relocating across the globe and used French to not only communicate with clients and local vendors, but also to interpret and record data from various legal documents, contracts, and visa applications in French.
Currently, Gabrielle is living in Washington D.C., working for the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Personnel Security and Suitability. Although French is not a daily aspect of her work life now, it certainly prepared her for her professional life. Studying French not only differentiates oneself from other applicants in similar job or academic prospects, it also expands one’s opportunities. French is a major international language that is not unique to one country, continent, or people. Because it does not have a huge number of native speakers who are already in the U.S., unlike other languages, French presents many international opportunities while also being unique enough in the U.S. and the entire Anglophone world. As businesses and economies become increasingly global and interconnected, employers seek out those with foreign language backgrounds.
Gabrielle expects her French background to continue to prove beneficial as she aspires to continue her career in public service.