Gaëtan Espitalier, Volunteer Program Assistant
At Little Brothers- Friends of the Elderly, we have a Highlight of the Week series where we shine a spotlight on members of the LBFE community including board members, older adults, volunteers, students, staff, CitySites (and more!) to learn about them and their experiences with LBFE. This week’s highlight is of one of our new Volunteer Program Assistants (VPA), Gaëtan Espitalier! Read on to learn more about Gaëtan and what he’s looking forward to while serving with us!
“My name is Gaëtan Espitalier, and I am 25 years old. I was born and raised in a small village in south of France. I graduated from a business school and also have a Masters degree from the Norwegian School of Economics. In order to finance my studies and gain professional experience, I took a gap year to work as a salesman for the Carlsberg group in Toulouse. I also wanted to discover the working environment in the public sector, so I did an internship at the French General Consulate in Jerusalem. I really enjoyed it and I am now aiming to work for the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. I am actually very proud to be French, but I also consider myself European and a citizen of the world.
So this year, I will dedicate my efforts to studying and passing the exams to enter this Ministry. Some of them are in English. I do not like to waste my time so I thought volunteering with LBFE would be the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I will improve my English skills and dedicate my energy to help elders. I am really looking forward to discovering Boston and interacting with elders. I want to learn about their lives and share quality time with them. I also wish to learn how to be more patient and tolerant. From a professional point of view, I really want to discover something new and have a better understanding of how charity works in the US.
I’d like to thank LBFE staff members for their warm welcome, and I am very grateful that the French government is giving me the opportunity to experience this year of voluntary community work. By granting young individuals through Service Civique: the French National Volunteer Service, I really believe that my country encourages its youth to be more active in their civilian lives.”
Remember to check out next week’s blog to see who will be highlighted then!
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