Aggies Abroad: Presley Graves ‘24 on Cornell Pre-Law Program in Paris

Presley Graves is a senior English major at Texas A&M University, and she recently had the opportunity to study with Cornell Law students at Panthéon-Sorbonne University. She first heard about the program in an email from her academic advisor, Sarah Borden. Presley expressed her interest to her advisor and to Dr. Vasilakis, and they both encouraged and supported her through the application process.

Presley spent four weeks in Paris learning alongside graduate and undergraduate students from Cornell University. The program began with introductory lectures and tours of the university and many cultural experiences in Paris. She toured museums and churches, drank hot chocolate at the Angelina, visited Versailles, and saw the Palais Garnier Opera House. As a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera, Presley was thrilled to see the place the novel was based on. Of course, she also visited the Eiffel Tower. Her group actually visited on Bastille Day, so she was able to see fireworks shooting off the Eiffel Tower.

Presley recalled one of the very first tours, which was to the Conseil d'Etat, the French supreme court. She felt like she was on “an insider tour” because the Cornell professors all had ties back to France and a wealth of knowledge that they were eager to share. They often offered to take the group of students to dinner to continue to share their knowledge, swapping stories over focaccia sandwiches along the Seine. The professors expressed a genuine interest in getting to know their students, and they used their knowledge to write recommendation letters for each student at the end of the program. “One of the greatest things I found over the course of the program,” Presley said, “was the professors really do care about each of us individually, and they made it a point to tell us to email them and keep up with them…which is a really cool tool that I’ve been able to use over the past few months.”

After the first introductory week, Presley began a course on the global study of law. It was initially intimidating to be in classes with Ivy League students, but she quickly realized that there were very few differences between them. “I had the same academic advantages from A&M that they did from their Ivy League schools,” Presley explained. “I really think it has a lot to do with how intimate and how intentional the department is. I felt like I was on a level playing field the entire time.” While A&M is one of the largest universities in the country, the English department is much smaller, which allows students to make connections, participate in research opportunities, and take control of their education. Presley noted that there is “a lot of one-on-one time with professors and they all know my name and they know my classmates’ names.” That personal connection makes a big difference, and it was one of the main things that prepared Presley for her Cornell classes. 

While Presley appreciated the small, close-knit nature of the English department, she also appreciated the far reach of the Aggie network while abroad. She continued traveling around Europe after the program ended, and she saw Aggie rings everywhere she went. On one of her flights, she even sat beside a family who had just finished touring A&M and encouraged the prospective student to attend. Even Aggies not physically present were showing their support. Presley heard from Dr. Vasilakis, Sarah Borden, and Dr. Miles often. “I just never felt like I was too far from home because I had the English department behind me.” 

Presley is already using her knowledge in her classes this semester, and she plans to continue applying her knowledge in law school after graduation. When applying to law schools, Presley will have the advantage of Cornell University listed on her transcripts alongside Texas A&M University to help her achieve the next step of her educational journey. Her career goals include becoming an international human rights attorney and starting her own nonprofit organization to end human trafficking. 

Presley encourages any Aggie considering study abroad to take the opportunity. She knows that if she had discounted herself, if she had bought into the idea that she is somehow less capable or less worthy than Ivy League students, then she never would have applied and discovered just how successful and just how prepared she already is. She hopes other students truly believe that “the world is their playground” and never pass up a great opportunity. 

While in Paris, Presley stayed in Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, univeristy lodging with different houses to represent different countries. Presley stayed in the French house with other American and international students. 

Presley still keeps in touch with many of the friends she met during the study abroad program, and they have been extremely helpful with LSAT study tips, law school application questions, and general support. 

One of the best parts of her time abroad was the amazing food!