FEATURED ALUM

David Tirman, BA in French 1978, B. Arch 1980

David Tirman

David Tirman graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages in 1978 with a BA in French. He also went on to earn a Bachelor of Architecture degree at the U of A in 1980. When he landed a position with the Walt Disney Company from 1990-1997 working at Euro Disney outside of Paris, he found that these French language skills were a great asset. He and his wife, Lorna, went on to live in France for nearly 4 years; their first daughter was even born in Paris. After his time with Euro Disney, French was again a beneficial skill in a position with an American firm based in Amsterdam that required travel throughout Europe. "When English didn't work," he says, "French oftentimes was the common link."

David and his wife, Lorna, while living
in Paris

Although David studied French at the University, he began his career after graduation as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. There, he learned the Cebuano dialect spoken in the southern Philippines. "My experiences since leaving the U of A now 28 years ago have reinforced my sense of the importance of foreign language skills in our increasingly global economy."

David currently resides near Lake Tahoe in Northern California and works with a firm that specializes in architectural redevelopment projects.

 

 

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