Dr. Pham’s position at The French Embassy is to promote French science activities.  She obtained her PhD in neuroscience in 1983 at Pierre & Marie Curie  University.  She is a board member of Paris Institute of Technology, and was in charge of recruiting international students to attend Paris Tech.  Dr Pham showed a slide presentation of French landscapes, cultural heritage, social life, quality of life, church & state, and scientific contributions.  She described the organizations that support the sciences and education.  France has 2 universities – Government and Engineering – that are very selective and competitive to get  in and graduate.  The rest of the universities are free with minimal entrance requirements.

Last week our own past president, Lasse V. Syversen, President of Flagship Trade Net, Inc. made a few reflections after last week’s terrible terror attack in Europe. On the morning of 22 March 2016, three coordinated nail bombings occurred in Belgium: two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. In these attacks, 35 victims and three suicide bombers were killed, among them 4 Americans, and over 300 people were injured. The bombings were the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium’s history. Mr Syversen talked about Terrorist cells in Europe and the risk for similar action being carried out. He also reflected on lack of resources and leadership in fighting the war against terror. He stated that we can never forget these attacks and to honor the victims we need to take actions.

Steve oversees the operation of three non-profit educational foundations that support students in the automotive, construction, and information technology /  computer science programs.  He also oversees all IT instruction for grades k-12.  Steve said that most 4 year college grads have a difficult time finding jobs that will compensate for the student loan debt.  Many go on to grad school at more expense in order to find a better job.  On the other hand, H S students that choose the trades route and become certified, can make over $100K in a few years, and can choose a work/ study college program that expands their career options without additional student loan debt.  The trade careers have become more technical and required more training before an entry job