Interviews with Past Black Lycée Valedictorians and Accomplished Students

To honor Black History Month and spotlight some of Lycée’s most academically accomplished and successful alumni, I endeavoured to interview four Black valedictorians and other gifted students that attended Le Lycée– with some graduating decades before I was even born! Their experiences, stories, and projects during and after Lycée are truly inspiring for all of us current students and future professionals. Their accounts not only motivate us to flourish in school but urge us to remember that these high school worries and memories are fleeting yet will forever remain with us years after Lycée.

Caleb Soloman 

Anna: Hello! Thank you for participating in this interview, Mr. Solomon. How are you doing?

Mr. Solomon: Doing well, just vibing :)

Anna: Glad to hear it. So, how old were you when you first started attending Le Lycée?

Mr. Solomon: I was 3 years old, so I’m a Lycée Lifer. I first attended the Palisades campus which recently burned down in the fires. It was really sad to hear, but I hope that they’ll be able to rebuild soon.

Anna: Yes, it was so devastating. What year did you graduate?

Mr. Solomon: I graduated in 2020 and had a Zoom graduation because of the pandemic.

Anna: Fun times… So, was English your first language? How many languages do you speak now?

Mr. Solomon: My parents love to remind me that French was my first language, though you wouldn’t be able to tell. Additionally, I took Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, and Greek at Lycee. Now, I speak English, French, and Japanese.

Anna: Woah Japanese! My sister wants to learn that too. Did you have a favorite class or subject in highschool?

Mr. Solomon: Definitely AP Art with Ms. Quan, and Ms. Camacho at the time. When I was in high school, there was a lot more focus on STEM and literature classes, so this was a great place to exercise my creativity.

Anna: Love Miss Quan. She’s an awesome art teacher. If you could have introduced or created any class at Le Lycée, what would it be?

Mr. Solomon: Probably an art anatomy class, but that’s only because I’m an artist and properly learning anatomy is very helpful early on. Other than that, a home economics class that teaches life skills such as filing taxes or cooking would’ve been nice.

Anna: Was there a teacher at Lycée who made a significant impact on you?

Mr. Solomon: Mme Clement was my Latin and Greek teacher since middle school, and I honestly don’t think I would’ve graduated without her guidance. If anyone in her class is reading this, ask her what “V.I.G.” is ;)

Anna: I completely agree– Mme Clement is the kindest and wisest soul I’ve ever met. I’ll make sure to ask her in Greek tomorrow! Anyway, did you participate in any extracurriculars in highschool?

Mr. Solomon: I did a bunch of non-athletic ones: English and French theatre with M Leloup, 9th grade band with Mme Jacob, too many APs, and Student Council (secretary in 7th, VP in 8th, secretary in 12th). We organized video game tournaments, played a school-wide Kahoot, and raffled off a TV! Good times :) I also founded the Digital Art Club, if that still exists.

Anna: What were your hobbies? What are some current hobbies?

Mr. Solomon: Video games and anime, mainly. I’m mostly playing Marvel Rivals and some Splatoon at the moment. For anime, I’d recommend watching Vinland Saga if you want to think, Skip Beat if you want to laugh, and Assassination Classroom if you want to cry (and One Piece if you have time). During my time in college, I started playing taiko (Japanese ensemble drumming) and was part of a group called Gendo Taiko. It’s a rather “athletic” musical style that puts a lot of emphasis on community as well as technique and power. Since graduating, I’ve gone to a taiko festival in Japan and I’m looking to join a new group. For anyone interested in taiko, I highly recommend looking it up on YouTube or trying a beginner workshop!

Anna: Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Le Lycée?

Mr. Solomon: In 12th grade, our class had a quote board on the back wall where I’d write down the funniest comments that Dr Hssaine or any of my classmates would say. I still cry laughing at some of them. Other than that, just chilling with my friends in the library or at Cheviot (the place that’s a sandwich shop now). If you’re still allowed to leave campus during lunch as upperclassmen, I recommend going to the ramen restaurant down the street. It’s honestly the most underrated ramen in LA, and if you leave right when the bell rings, you should have enough time to eat and make it back to your next class.

Anna: Where did you go after Le Lycée?

Mr. Solomon: I went to Brown University in Providence, RI, and graduated this past spring.

Anna: Wow! What did you study- are you studying?

Mr. Solomon: I majored in Visual Art. What I liked about Brown was that because it has an open curriculum program, you aren’t required to take classes in subjects you aren’t interested in. So I was able to have a STEM-free college experience while still taking a pretty wide breadth of courses. I was also able to take some great art courses at RISD, which is right next to Brown. If you’re an artist interested in going to Brown, you should know that their art program is focused on fine art, conceptual thinking, and becoming a gallery exhibit type of artist. If you’re more interested in making art for entertainment (games, movies, etc.), and/or have nearly no interest in subjects other than art, then RISD is likely a better choice. Whichever you attend, you can take a few classes at the other university as well during your time there. If you end up attending Brown, make sure you’re friends with a RISD student, because their dining hall food is WAY better.

Anna: That sounds so interesting. Where did that lead you– what is your job now? Did you always know that you would be in this field of work?

Mr. Solomon: Currently unemployed (classic struggling artist moment), and I’m looking for work as an artist in games or animation. I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t really know what that meant to me until the end of high school or sometime during college.

Anna: Where do you see yourself going in the future?

Mr. Solomon: Surelyyyy to a job interview.

Anna: That’s a good next move. So, who is your biggest inspiration?

Mr. Solomon: If I don’t say my parents, then I’ll probably be found on the side of the road somewhere, so let’s go with that (I love my parents).

Anna: Hehe. What advice would you give to your highschool self? To current Lycée students?

Mr. Solomon: Draw every day, like seriously. Even if it’s just doodling your teacher in class, doodle with intention. Force yourself to do it until it’s just muscle memory, it’s the best habit for an artist to have. To current Lycee students, if you’ve decided what you want to do in the future, start learning how to do it now, it’s never too early. But always make sure to keep an open mind, because you never know what you’ll discover later on. It may not feel like it, but high school is when you’ll have the most free time to try and learn new things. And as the great Dr. Hssaine once said: “Don’t be lazy! Use your calculator!”

Anna: I absolutely love that quote. Thank you– it was lovely getting to know you !

Desobry Bowens

Anna: Hi! Thank you so much for participating in this interview, Mr. Bowens. How are you doing?

Mr. Bowens: Great–thanks for asking.

Anna: Firstly, how old were you when you joined Le Lycée?

Mr. Bowens: I started at Lycée when I was 5 years old, the summer before 1st grade.

Anna: What year did you graduate?

Mr. Bowens: In 1995 as the Valedictorian of the International Section.

Anna: Awesome– I’m in that section now too. What was your favorite class or subject?

Mr. Bowens: Math.

Anna: Which extracurricular activities did you participate in? 

Mr. Bowens: I was the basketball team captain, editor for the Lycée newspaper (1st student-run paper) In those days we only had Le Petit Journal which was run by the school.

Anna: It’s evolved quite a bit since then! Outside of school, what were your hobbies?

Mr. Bowens: Skiing, water skiing, scuba diving, sailing and baseball.

Anna: Wow. How many languages do you speak?

Mr. Bowens: 2.5 English, French and quite poor Spanish.

Anna: Was there a teacher at Lycée who made a significant impact on you? If yes, how so?

Mr. Bowens: Mr. Makin and Dr. Roth– Math and English teachers respectively. Also our high school and middle school principal, M. Ansleme.

Anna: Where did you go after Lycée? 

Mr. Bowens: The United States Naval Academy and Served 21 Years as a commissioned officer and tactical jet pilot.

Anna: What did you study there? Did you always have a sense of what field of study you would go into or did you discover it?

Mr. Bowens: Economics and a minor in French. I thought I wanted to be a surgeon, but found college-level Chemistry to not be a good fit for me. I really loved the way Economics has you look at problems and approach the world.

Anna: How did your experience and education at Le Lycée prepare you for college and your professional career?

Mr. Bowens: The multicultural aspect of Lycée truly prepared me for being an officer in the military and working with partner nations from around the world.

Anna: What do you do now?

Mr. Bowens: I am retired from the Navy, own/manage a multi-family rental portfolio, and fly as a commercial pilot for UPS Airlines.

Anna: That’s so cool! How do you see yourself evolving in the future?

Mr. Bowens: I hope my 50’s bring me new opportunities and growth in the real estate space…

Anna: Who is your biggest inspiration?

Mr. Bowens: My mother Alice Desobry Bowens. She was my mother, mentor, and best friend!

Anna: That’s so sweet :) Is there any advice you would give to your high school self? To current Lycée students?

Mr. Bowens: Challenge yourself, look long, nothing worth having is easy, you are owed nothing and must earn everything– be tough and never QUIT!

Anna: Great advice. Thank you for the interview– it was nice getting to know you!

 Elliot Barnes

Anna: Hi! Thank you for participating in this interview, Mr. Barnes. How are you?

Mr. Barnes: Hello, Anna I’m very well– thanks. I’m really excited about this interview. Thank you for reaching out.

Anna: Of course. How old were you when you first started attending Le Lycée? 

Mr. Barnes: So I started Le Lycée in the fall of 1965 when I was four years old.

Anna: What year did you graduate?

Mr. Barnes: I didn’t finish but left at the end of the 1973 school year.

Anna: I see. Did you have a favorite class or subject during your time here?

Mr. Barnes: Well I was in grade school, So I really enjoyed the art classes.

Anna: Outside of the classroom, what kind of extracurriculars did you participate in?

Mr. Barnes: I started fencing early at the Doheny campus with Mr. and Mme Vince.

Anna: Nice! What were your hobbies? 

Mr. Barnes: I was involved in many things. Music, drawing, fencing…

Anna: How many languages do you speak? 

Mr. Barnes: I speak three: French, English, and, for the last three years, I’ve been learning Italian.

Anna: Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Le Lycée?

Mr. Barnes: My two most favorite memories are  watching the film “Le Ballon Rouge’ at the Doheny campus, and then having poulet roti and rice for lunch in the early years at the Overland campus with Clara Lisa and her grandmother.

Anna: Where did you go after Le Lycée?

Mr. Barnes: After Le Lycée I went to what is now Harvard Westlake.

Anna: What did you study when you went off to college?

Mr. Barnes: I majored in Architecture.

Anna: Interesting. What is your job now? Did you always know that you would be in this field of work?

Mr. Barnes: I have my interior design practice in Paris. Since the age of 15, I wanted to be an architect.

Anna: Where do you see yourself going in the future?

Mr. Barnes: Well, I will always design. Perhaps more furniture and less residences and hotels. I also have a project to spend more time in Venice, eventually moving there part time.

Anna: Who is your biggest inspiration?

Mr. Barnes: I have many sources of inspiration: Francesoco Borromini, Miles Davis, Mies Van Der Rohe, Langston Hughes, my mother and my father, Picasso, Ron Carter…

Anna: What advice would you give to your high school self? To current Lycée students?

Mr. Barnes: So to my high school self and to my fellow Le Lycée students I would say: Always listen to your inner self and do not be swayed by the thoughts and opinions of others. Stay focused. Stay passionate.

Anna: Thank you for your story!

Quintus Jett

Anna: Hello! Thank you so much for participating in this interview, Dr. Jett. How are you doing?

Dr. Jett: Well, thank you. I miss my mom. She passed away last year, and I spent the previous several years living with her as her caregiver. I’m now starting to make a living again. Every day, I get only about 20% done of what I’d ideally like to do, but I think I’m getting better at this :)

Anna: First things first, when did you join Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles?

Dr. Jett: In 4th grade. I think about 1975!

Anna: Oh wow. What’s your background?

Dr. Jett: I’m African American. My parents were born in the segregated South during the Jim Crow era, with lineage back into slavery. My mother came to Los Angeles for a two-week vacation in 1960. She liked it so much, she found a job so she could stay. Both my parents were civil servants. Mom was a teacher and assistant principal for LA County Schools. Dad was an investigator for the State of California. I’m an only child, and they sent me to the Lycée to provide me with the best education they could, and to expose me to people from other backgrounds and cultures.

Anna: What year did you graduate?

Dr. Jett: 1984.

Anna: I love that book! What was your favorite class or subject?

Dr. Jett: I remember liking the reading and writing assignments in English class, as well as the assignments in the art class, during middle school. I was delighted to take a course on government and another on religions of the world, during high school. I enjoyed the Math classes every year. I remember the morning when I suddenly “got it”, when taking Algebra. And I became pretty consistent and good at math. A lot due to Mr. Mrotek. Very polished. The consummate professional. Had a sense of humor. And surprised us all in class one day when he revealed he could speak Persian. It turns out he was a White American guy who had worked in Iran. 

Anna: How many languages do you speak?

Dr. Jett: I have some mastery of one. I’m shy and hesitant to speak another. Guess which? :)  

When I hear French speaking, my half comprehension of it surprises me sometimes. I want to speak French like my dad did, before he died. When we traveled together to Paris in 1984, I was proficient enough to speak but no one could understand him! Yet years later, he had pals he held conversations in French with all the time.

Anna: After Lycée, what university did you attend?

Dr. Jett: University of Pennsylvania for bachelor's degree. Then later Stanford for master's and doctorate. All degrees were engineering, although my doctoral program had much social science to it.

Anna: Those are incredible schools. So, how did your formation at Lycée shape your later studies and professional endeavors? 

Dr. Jett: The Lycée shaped me as a person, foremost. I created and led a community-mapping service project in the City of New Orleans, almost twenty years ago after Hurricane Katrina. For a while, I used to think I could do that because of my Stanford PhD in Organizations. But when I think back, I relied on my ability to meet and engage a variety of people with humanity, respect, and a spirit of égalité. I developed that early, formed over my many years at the Lycée.

Anna: Where do you see yourself in the future? 

Dr. Jett: I’ve never been great at anticipating my future. The University of Pennsylvania wasn’t at all in mind for college, when I began senior year. But then I had a conversation with Monsieur Raymond Kabbaz!  Him telling me about Penn led me to learn more. Then I applied and was admitted.

For the coming years, I expect to be living here, where I grew up about five miles to the east of the Lycée. I’m launching a public service company, operating within LA City and County, dedicated to fostering innovation and empowering communities, including to take part in rebuilding from the January wildfires in the Altadena and Pacific Palisades regions.

Anna: Who is your biggest inspiration?

Dr. Jett: My mother, Beatrice. 

Anna: Lovely. Thank you for the interview.