Greetings, my name is Jared Koch and I am an IUHPFL alum (St. Brieuc, France 2007). The experiences were, needless to say, extraordinary and invaluable. However, I'd like to take the time not to focus on the past but on the present and how the IUHPFL has unequivocally helped shape and influence my present career.

I am currently serving in the U.S Navy as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI) Second Class, or in layman's terms I am a Navy Linguist. I deploy on U.S. Navy Submarines and have had the opportunity to travel across the globe, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Referencing "www.public.navy.mil", my job description is as follows: Interpret and translate critical information in foreign languages. Advise top-level authority figures. Develop immediate strategic data about enemy forces.

As a Navy Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI), the ability to speak and understand world languages takes center stage. You are part of an elite community made up of fellow top-notch linguists. Whether via radio, telephone or computer, you are specially trained to decipher and analyze pertinent foreign information in every form of communication imaginable. Presently, I am an officially qualified Persian-Farsi and French linguist for the Department of Defense and it is with great pride that I tell you it is in no small part due to my experience with the IUHPFL.

Firstly, I attended a yearlong course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Cal. which resulted in my qualification as a Persian-Farsi linguist. The hours were long and the classes intense but I couldn't have been better prepared after spending a summer living in St. Brieuc and overcoming the challenges associated with complete immersion.

Secondly, my qualification as a French linguist is a true testament to the benefits and value of the IUHPFL experience. My formal training in French ended upon my graduation from high school but as a result of my scores on the French Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) I work alongside native, DO- trained and university-trained speakers of French each and every day to accomplish mission goals.

To many, my ability in French seems unnatural after only studying the language three years in high school and spending only seven weeks abroad, but they do not understand the nature of the IUHPFL and how truly exceptional it is. Between the host families, the Honor Code, fellow students and teachers, the IUHPFL is unique in the way it challenges its participants and therefore unique in the results it yields. In closing, I want to say thank you for providing me with this experience and thank you for continuing to provide this experience to students across the Hoosier state. 

À bientôt, Jared Koch