For the next in our series spotlighting our amazing alumni, we caught up with Jane Cummins Shidler, an educator, former opera singer, and Romance Languages and Literatures major from the Class of 1996. 

Since graduating from Princeton, Jane has found success both as a performing artist and educator, following up her Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) experience – student teaching French and Spanish at Princeton High School – with performing as a soprano at the New York City Opera and teaching students of all ages. Read on to find out how Jane’s experience in the department contributed to her journey as an artist and educator!

Why did you decide to major in FIT as an undergraduate?

• I decided to major in FIT, formerly the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, as an undergraduate because my passion for French, Spanish, and Italian language, literature, and culture was intense and because I was eager learn from the extraordinary professors in the department - top scholars in the field who were warm, humble, and collaborative.  It was the greatest honor and pleasure to be their student, and I was thrilled that they embraced my passion for their courses and my desire to bridge multiple literatures in my independent work; I appreciated having two junior paper advisors (Italian and French) and two thesis advisors (French and Spanish).  I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive department.

How did your FIT concentration shape your career trajectory and the way you perform your job today?

• My FIT concentration shaped my career path as an opera singer and as an educator; most importantly, it helped shape me as a human being. After graduating, I embarked on an operatic career as a light lyric coloratura soprano, so I sang in French and Italian on a daily basis - I played roles ranging from Marie in La fille du régiment with the New York City Opera National Company to Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Jerome Hines’ Opera Music Theatre International. My studies in French and Italian added immensely to my pronunciation and interpretation.  Also, my career as a French educator was shaped by the courses I took in the department; to this day, when I teach students French literature, I reference my Princeton professors’ ideas.  But the department’s impact on me goes well beyond shaping my career. The generosity and dedication of the esteemed professors – a few of them still there today, namely Gaetana Marrone Puglia, Pietro Frassica, and Thomas Trezise – served as models for humanity in scholarship.

What would you say to an undergraduate who is considering a concentration in FIT?

• This is an opportunity not to be missed!  Since FIT is such an intimate, close-knit group of concentrators, you will get an incredible amount of individualized attention as well as create meaningful ties with fellow classmates in the department. The professors are kind, accessible, and eager to hear from you.  Your voice is valued and the creative possibilities abound - I was encouraged to take several graduate seminars, including Victor Brombert’s 19th century French novel and Alban Forcione’s Don Quijote seminars, since they were key to informing my work in the department.  Nothing is impossible as a concentrator in the FIT department!

Do you have a favorite memory or anecdote from your time in the department?

• My time in the department was sacred to me, so I have many fond memories.  But I would say a moment in time was when I looked out into the audience at my senior vocal recital in Taplin Auditorium and saw so many of the professors and fellow students from the French and Italian department there. Number one, I was touched that they came. Number two, it was meaningful to sing some of the poetry I had studied with them (i.e. Duparc’s setting of Baudelaire’s L’invitation au voyage, a poem I had analyzed for Professor Nash’s 19th century French poetry class). Number three, many followed up, including Professor Marrone-Puglia, who asked  if I might be interested in being featured in the 150th anniversary film. Lionel Gossman, whom I had never even taken a course with, sent me a kind note. I’m grateful for the opportunity, almost 30 years later, to say another thank-you to the department that taught me what true scholarship in the service of humanity means. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.