By Rachel Duncan

Picnic on Sablettes, the beach.

Maia Zasler (‘23) walks out of her beautiful French apartment to a breathtaking view overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. She walks down the 90 stairs in her apartment building and crosses Avenue Félix Faure. She reaches the grounds of Sciences Po, where she will sit through four to six hours of class for the day. After class, she and her friends will occasionally find themselves eating dinner while overlooking the stunning sunset on Les Sablettes Beach.

Zasler is a freshman in college who is a part of the Dual BA Program between Columbia University and Sciences Po in Menton, France. In the first week of September 2023, she bravely ventured to the French Riviera to pursue a degree in politics and government (law), with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. Zasler recalled, “I always knew I wanted to study international relations. Here, I’m living that on a day-to-day basis.”

Sciences Po is ranked third worldwide for political and international studies. The Menton campus is home to over 350 students, 65 percent of whom are from outside France. The Sciences Po website states, “This cultural diversity makes the first two years on campus an international experience in itself.” The Menton campus is also home to some 300 student associations. Zasler conveyed, “We have an incredibly active student body. Everyone is involved with at least two and sometimes three or four associations.”

View of Menton Old Town.

Zasler was initially introduced to the program in her Sophomore year by Upper School French teacher Holly Fairlamb. “If it wasn’t for her, I would have never even known this program existed.” Fairlamb’s daughter, Laura (‘19), attended the dual degree program during some of the more strict COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

In March 2023, when Zasler was admitted into the program, “I thought, no way I’m doing this. I’m not moving across the world!” She described, “I knew it was something I wanted, but I didn’t think it was the thing I wanted most.” She mentioned that the program she wanted was the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. “That would have pigeonholed me,” she said. “Coming here gave me the opportunity not just to explore my different interests and their various facets, but to learn from students coming from different backgrounds, who speak different languages, and who have different ways of looking at things.” Zasler didn’t commit until the end of April of her Senior year. She admitted, “I was so intimidated by everything,” including the distance and giving up the “traditional” American college experience. “But this decision could not have been more perfect for me, and I have no regrets!”

After committing, Zasler was tasked with getting her student visa, an apartment, “and a bunch of other bureaucratic stuff.” She said that if it wasn’t for her background in French, the entire process would have been more difficult, but not impossible. “It was stressful,” she admitted. “Four days before moving in, the apartment I had thought I was going to live in flooded, and I had to find a new one.” She laughingly remarked that it was “a bonding experience” for her and her roommate. “Being here has really shown me that it’s so exciting not to know and see how things will just work out.”

Rue Longue, Menton.

Since her time in France, Zasler has traveled to Copenhagen, Istanbul, Florence, Rome, Athens, Baku, Paris, Dublin, Cambridge, and numerous other cities. She writes for the student newspaper The Menton Times, is the Head of Insights in the Menton chapter for Global Research and Consulting (GRC), has been an editor for the Columbia Political Review, and has organized Jewish cultural events. On the weekends, Zasler enjoys doing her work at a local café or on the beach. She also mentioned her love of going on rejuvenating walks and going into town to shop.

I asked about the differences between typical American colleges versus French universities. Zasler began, “There’s no ‘party’ culture, no fraternities, no spectator sports, and no dorms or dining halls.” But Zasler expressed, “I don’t really care much. I never loved American football, I love apartment-style living, being able to host dinner parties and have our own theme parties!” She particularly mentioned the perks of having your own bedroom and only having to share the bathroom with one other person.

In addition to the social differences, Sciences Po has no Thanksgiving break or fall breaks except for five days off after midterms. Students have four weeks off for winter break, an early spring break in February, and then a three-day Easter weekend. Zasler also explained the cultural differences between both countries, specifically her longing for ice water when eating out at a restaurant and iced coffee. She also misses being able to drive, her bed at home, her family, and her dogs. Luckily, she was able to return home for winter break and has been visited by her mom, dad, older and younger sisters, uncle, aunt, cousins, and grandpa.

At its core, Zasler said that Sciences Po, the Menton campus, is “a really special place, where even though our size can be a weakness, or problematic things have a disproportionately negative impact, it’s also positive, because any uplifting thing makes a bigger difference throughout the campus community.” She encouraged, “programs like these are out there, you just have to look for them.” She joked, “You’ll have a lot of places to crash when you go traveling!”

Lastly, I asked Zasler if there was any advice she had for an incoming high school senior. She advised, “Because the college application process was absolutely miserable for me, I would tell people that it’s not that deep and you can change course, which is not an uncommon thing—transferring, going to a different school, and going on a different path. It’s really tough knowing what you want to do at 17 and 18 years old. I would say to listen to yourself and tune out the people around you. Ultimately, it’s what you feel is right and what you want. Leave your options open and really commit to doing college tours and researching.”

It’s no surprise that Zasler’s beautiful and exuberant spirit is deeply missed. In the words of her younger sister Maytal Zasler (‘25), “It was a huge adjustment to have Maia move abroad. We went from sharing every car ride, ice skating practice, and family dinner together to having intermittent calls as the time distance permitted. I’ve missed Maia so much, but this feeling is definitely made better when I hear about all the amazing opportunities and travel she has experienced while at Sciences Po. It’s difficult not to envy all the incredible places she’s visited. I really believe Maia found the perfect program for her, but it’s definitely been a transition with ups and downs for the whole family.”

All photos by Maia Zasler.