I have always been a very enthusiastic and dedicated person. Growing up as a competitive swimmer, I invested countless hours of practice and competition to improve my skills in the sport that I loved. As I became older and began my studies at Syracuse University, I discovered that I had an affinity for French history, culture and language. After interning at a French kindergarten in Strasbourg, France during the summer of my junior year, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my professional years to teaching others French. After graduating from Syracuse, I spent the first year of my French graduate program in Tours, France. This experience was invaluable and gave me a greater understanding of the French people and the intricacies of the language. I, then, spent the second year of my graduate studies teaching French 1 and 2 to undergraduate students. I enjoyed working with adult learners and seeing them overcome the initial intimidation of being immersed in a French speaking environment. After graduate school, I taught all levels of French to middle school and high school students. Through the years, I have learned a great deal about language learners and how each student's needs are unique. I want learning French to be fun and not stressful. I know that it is not an easy task to master a new language (been there, done that ;))! I have a great deal of patience for this exciting process. I encourage my students to be confident in their present level of French (be it beginning or advanced), never forgetting that it is okay to make mistakes along the way. It is my privilege to team up with my students to help them accomplish their specific goals in language learning.