Giving back to your community: Interview with VP International, Valerie Prulhière (Li 187)

AFAM: Hello Valérie and thank you for taking the time to give us this short interview! Please tell us a few words about yourself.

Valérie: I come from North of France so I naturally went to Lille when I was accepted in Arts et Métiers , Sciences & Technologies (Ensam) back in 1987. I have been passionate about this school from the very beginning, and I am still today a.k.a my engagement as Vice-president of the Arts et Metiers Alumni (Soce). Through my career, I have worked in different industries: Aerospace, Oil & Gaz and also Insurance with a focus on industrial risks. I spend 9 years in Dallas with my husband and three children from 2008 to 2017. I have been deeply involved in both French and American school systems. Coming back to France, I decided to use the best of both educational systems and became a professional coach and college counselor.

AFAM: You are VP International at la SOCE since 2021. Please tell us a few words about how come you accepted this position and also how you see your role and your future goals.

Valérie:

I must tell that first, when I was offered the job, I refused. I was launching my own business and thought I didn’t have time to fulfill the task. Then I looked back at my own experience of being an expat and being so far away from la Soce and the school. And I thought that I will at least be able to understand what it’s like to be away and therefore being able to try to do something meaningful for those away from home.

La Soce is a large and strong Alumni network, which particularity is to have structured groups everywhere in France and abroad. I believe one of my roles is to make sure that we used this strength to help Gadz students to find internships (17 to 20 weeks of international mobility will soon be mandatory to graduate), to help young Gadz who want to have an expat experience, to make sure la SOCE is connected to Gadz living abroad and vice versa, and to promote our unique community abroad.

AFAM: Because of your new role as VP International you're also one of the board members of AFAM. Please tell us what you knew about AFAM before joining the board how has your vision of AFAM changed since?

Valérie: I, first, heard of AFAM when I was In Dallas. Since I was registered on the Alumni list living in the US, I received some emails. At the time, I was busy with adjusting to a normal expat daily life with small kids. We were in Dallas, not really surrounded by Alumni, Afam was, I have to confess, a little bit distant from my concerns.

I knew AFAM had a growing activity, but I honestly became aware of it when I became VP International. I was really impressed and amazed by the work done to help young AM students to come study in the US, by the creativity of finding different tools to increase the offer. I think it is probably not popular or not known, enough in our community. It definitively needs more advertising.

AFAM: AFAM is a non-profit organization and gadz'arts participating in different committees and initiatives are all volunteers. Have you been a volunteer before? What are the causes most close to your heart?

Valérie: I am sure my family and close friends would tell you that being a volunteer is a huge part of my life (sports, school, kids’ activities). Arts et Métiers community is obviously a big topic. I was involved from the very beginning in going back to middle and high schools to explain to students, especially female students, how to become an engineer. It is very close to my heart to make sure young girls are aware that engineering fields are not only for boys and that they are at the right place when they choose STEM studies. 

AFAM: what would you like to wish to AFAM for the future?

Valérie: I wish AFAM to keep its dynamism and to meet success in increasing its actions towards AM students. I believe it is also a wonderful tool to promote the Arts & Métiers community in the US.

AFAM: thank you for this interview!

As a reminder: AFAM is holding a board elections. Valerie is running for re-election as a SOCE representative. AFAM donors are eligible to vote. To know more about the election process, please read it.

Photo: courtesy of Valérie Prulhière