French major and member of the National French Honor Society (Pi Delta Phi), Cynthia Dodd, spent a month at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) through the Explore program. This study abroad experience was made possible by the 2025 Mary E. Guthermuth Award, a scholarship that allowed Dodd to explore the unique French culture of Québec. Dodd also celebrated the publication of her chapbook “Transgressions: Reflections on My Trans Experience.” Together, these experiences emphasize her passion and dedication to language, literature and self-expression.
‘Explore’ is a program for Canadian language exchange, which allowed Dodd to connect with people from Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and several other regions. “The program was full of amazing experiences. Shoutout to Bill, Tina, Kyle and some of my classmates who helped me feel less alone in the country.”
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- Dodd and a fellow friend in her program playing with Legos in the campus library.
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- Overlooking Chicoutimi from La Croix de Sainte-Anne
Dodd added that she felt Chicoutimi was similar to Shippensburg in several ways, only more urban. “Everything was within walking distance from the school and my apartment. The university was rather compact, making it easy to get to where I needed to go. It was so convenient.”
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- Sacré-Cœur Church, Chicoutimi.
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- La petite Maison Blanche, a museum of a house that survived two floods in Chicoutimi.
Through her time abroad, Dodd came away with stronger language skills and a new cultural understanding. “Before this trip, I struggled to understand the Québec accent, but now it comes more naturally. A lot of unique vocabulary has fallen into my lap as well, and I cannot wait to share it with my France-obsessed friends. I think most people in the French program here go to France. Now, I have a lot of knowledge unique to my experience that I can bring to the table. I’m even planning a party to show off some of the culture I learned.”
While Dodd’s time in Québec was a pivotal moment for her, another major achievement was the publication of her work, “Transgressions: Reflections on My Trans Experience,” which she released last semester through the university’s English department.
Since some time has passed since her book was published, Dodd has had time to reflect on her work. “It was a stepping stone in my journey,” she said. “I am grateful for the chance to write and publish a chapbook like this. I have used some of the time since publication to tap into my emotions and try to incorporate them into my writing.”
Support from Ship faculty helped her discover both opportunities. “They’ve helped me achieve so many skills that I wouldn’t have earned had I not worked under them,” Dodd said. “Of course, the French Honors Society is the reason I went to Québec, and now, I want to get my master’s in Montreal. I have no clue where I would be without the Pi Delta Phi or the English department.”
Looking to the future, Dodd hopes to continue combining her passions for language and writing. ”Currently, I am looking at the literary studies (Études littéraires) master’s program at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Quebecois and American Literature,” she said. “I hope to earn a PhD in English or French literature and teach at the college level at a French-speaking school.”
Dodd credits her mentors and faculty at Ship, Blandine Mitaut, Laurie Cella, Nicole Santalucia, Shannon Mortimore-Smith and Miller Hoffman for shaping her into “the even more well-rounded writer, speaker, student and human I am today.”
