Rencontre avec Louis PROUTEAU-COUTON (promotion 2027)
As November unfolds, the Foundation is proud to showcase the journey of Louis Prouteau Coulon, a 2027 Grande École Program student and Foundation scholarship student.
THE JOURNEY OF A YOUNG MAN FROM VENDEE
Louis lives with his family in the small commune of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, in Vendée. In the heart of this rural setting, where everyone knows each other, he grew up with values of sharing and solidarity. In 2021, he obtained his STMG baccalaureate in the midst of the pandemic, a period that made it difficult for many students to project themselves into the future. Inspired by his mother and driven by a desire to travel and discover new cultures, Louis embarked on the international program of EM Normandie, despite the challenges associated with his rural environment. From his first year in the Grande École Program, he became involved in the International Council association, dedicated to welcoming and supporting international students at the School.
FROM VENDEE TO ENGLAND
His training at EM Normandie began in Oxford, in his first year, where he lived with a host family of Pakistani origin. This cultural immersion was also marked by the reality of the cost of living in England, with rents that could reach a minimum of 800 euros. Thanks to the help of his parents and grandparents, supplemented by a loan of more than 10,000 euros, Louis continued his studies. Benefiting from a CROUS scholarship, he has also been working since the age of 17 to reduce daily expenses: selling fruits and vegetables, baking bread, bartending. Despite his efforts, the costs proved too high for his family. It was therefore thanks to the school's social worker and the support of the EM Normandie Foundation that Louis obtained two scholarships, "Academic Merit" and "Life's Ups and Downs", allowing him to continue his studies at the School more serenely.
REALIZING HIS DREAMS OF EXPATRIATION
Thanks to these scholarships, Louis was able to complete an internship in China in his second year of school, as a marketing sales assistant in a local drone company in Wuxi, near Shanghai. Today, at the age of 21, in his third year, he is pursuing his dream of living abroad with a six-month expatriation to the United States. In parallel, he finances his daily life by giving French and mathematics lessons to international children, a way for him to combine cultural exchanges with his values of sharing and solidarity.
ENCOUNTERS, THE DRIVING FORCE OF HIS FUTURE
Louis plans to work abroad later, in a role where human relations are important. He may one day become a teacher to pass on his knowledge, inspired by his mentoring experiences in the different countries he has visited: "Meeting new people is what has made me grow the most." His motto is summed up in a quote from James Norbury, according to him: "What is the most important thing, asked Grand Panda, the journey or the destination? - The company... replied Little Dragon."
Louis's story is another real example of the impact the EM Normandie Foundation can have on the lives of students.
