Farida Khatchadourian has been a member of the St. John’s Paris
Campus team since 2010, when she began working in her current role
as Assistant Director of the Paris Campus. Originally from
Maryland, Farida holds degrees in political science, international
education and teaching, but she says that her most valuable
education in life has come from traveling and living overseas.
As assistant director, Farida is responsible for helping to
ensure that all operations on the Paris campus run smoothly,
including helping students with course registration, planning
excursions and events on the campus and overseeing student affairs.
Her favorite part of the job, though, is interacting with the
students on a daily basis and sharing in their enthusiasm. “I love
the energy that our students bring,” she says. “And I love how down
to earth St. John’s students are.”
Farida recommends that every visitor to Paris take advantage of
the many street cafes that the City of Light is known for, but she
also suggests going off the beaten track and using the city’s bus
system to explore the many ethnic neighborhoods throughout Paris.
More than anything, she reminds first-time travelers to take in the
sights and sounds of the world around them, being careful not to
get too caught up in the “traps” of being a tourist: “Put your
camera down and just enjoy the moment!”