Alumni Spotlight

Tell me about your background, interests, educational journey thus far.

I attended FAA my entire childhood, from Preschool up until 8th grade. It was the only school I knew, and my second home. The summer after 8th grade, I moved to NYC and began attending the United Nations International School, where I’ve been a student for all 4 years of high school. Now, I am days away from graduation, and am awaiting to start my academic journey at Vanderbilt University in the fall. I will be majoring in Political Science and Economics, but I know I will play around with my college courses to see which I choose to pursue seriously. Economics has been my main academic interest throughout high school, as well as Global Politics. I’ve been a part of many clubs regarding political issues and reform throughout the past 4 years, my main focus being an organization unique to my school, named “UNIS-UN”, where we organize a yearly conference in the UN General Assembly Hall centered around a global issue and invite over 300 international visiting school students. We curate the conference using guest speakers, debates, and much more. UNIS-UN has been my main focus club-wise, as I grew to be head of the Logistical Committee, and have poured countless hours into it. I am also a student-athlete and have run Cross-Country, indoor Track and Field, as well as outdoor Track and Field for the past three years. Being a part of a sports team truly taught me amazing lessons, whether it be in leadership or time management, as well as helped me clear my mind and not solely focus on school. Other hobbies of mine include cooking, fashion, and exercising, as well as spending lots of quality time with my friends and family.

You’re trilingual, speaking English, Farsi, and French. Can you talk about your experiences being raised with three languages? 

Honestly, I have been speaking Farsi, English, and French for so long, I often forget which one is my true native language. I would argue English is my native language (but my parents would angrily disagree). I am the sole fluent French speaker in my immediate family, which has been challenging and interesting, but I have grown to love it and believe it greatly adds to who I am. Being raised trilingual was often confusing–I have been known to mix all three languages in one sentence–but as I grew older, I grew to love my secret talent. My parents would often take me to visit my family in France, as a way to allow me to speak to native speakers and build my knowledge not only in the French language but the culture as well. I consider Nice, France to be one of my homes, and the city will always have a very special place in my heart, as will the entire French culture.

How have speaking French and being connected to “le monde francophone” affected you?

I believe my ability to speak French is a secret weapon. I have been able to take my studies and opportunities to the next level, setting myself apart from the rest, greatly thanks to my bilingualism. I attended a two-week long course at SciencesPo Paris the summer before my junior year of high school, where I stayed with host families in Paris and took online college-level courses, in both French and English. Not only did I learn immense amounts of information from these courses, but I also set myself apart from my peers, who had all never experienced an international education. Especially considering I am looking to enter the world of politics, speaking multiple languages is a gateway to so many more opportunities. I have been able to make new connections, discover new issues and topics, and be able to explore ideas I would have never known of without being francophone. Being connected to “le monde francophone” has made me a unique student and person, and set me apart from the rest of my peers. I know that my skill is something I will carry along with me as I enter higher education, as well as when I enter the workforce, as it will never stop being important and helpful to my development.

Have you got any specific memories or anecdotes that you treasure from your time at the FAA? Are there any teachers that stand out in your memory? 

I truly cherish every moment I spent at the FAA. Some of my most formative memories were made in both the New Milford and Jersey City campuses, and I know I will carry them with me for the rest of my life, whether it be sneaking away to Radia’s office to gossip, or dancing with Mme. Venturelli, we truly did it all. Every teacher at the FAA truly left an impact on me, but I must say, Mrs. Karam, Mme. Venturelli, Cathy, and Mr. Tourais are the main ones I still think about daily. They all truly taught me foundational tools and lessons that have guided me through every step of high school, and I know I will now take them with me throughout college. I truly thank them every day for how much they have helped me grow and evolve, not only as a student but as a human being. And, of course, Anne-Sophie Gueguen, who is the one who created this amazing experience for me and all my fellow FAA peers, the one who allowed us to flourish and learn so much over our time at the school, and the one I give all credit to for the student I have become today.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Maya, a proud graduate of The French American Academy (FAA) and the daughter of FAA founders. In this quick Q&A, she shares her special connection to the school, her favorite memories, and the lessons that have shaped her life path.

Q: Can you share some of your favorite memories, field trips, or projects from your time at The French American Academy?

There are many memories that come to mind: I loved the holiday events we had. Thanksgiving when the whole school shared a lunch altogether or our holiday shows where we would prepare songs, dances, and perform in front of the entire school! I also loved some of the projects we conducted: the fashion show, the cooking contest, the choreography in the subway about differences, the whole movie “Face to face” where I landed the lead role and obviously the overnight trips. Dog Sledding in Canada is something I’ll never forget! 

Q: As the daughter of the school’s founder and head of school, how did that unique connection shape your experience as a student?

I would spend long hours at the school, staying until 6 pm most nights. My whole life was basically here. And seeing my mom being the first and last out of the school definitely gave me a sense of hard work and resilience!

Q: What is one lesson you’ve learned from your parents, respectively Head and Business Manager, that stands out as you reflect on your time at The French American Academy?

A growth mindset comes first to my mind. My mom has been constantly repeating this phrase since I was little. I was in 3rd grade when my mom learned about Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset, as she was trying to change the false assumptions I had about my math capabilities! Both of my parents also illustrate creativity and thinking out of the box. If you can’t get one way, choose another one! 

Q: How has being educated in both French and American systems shaped your worldview?

I have definitely gained a vast sea of knowledge from the FAA. I am able to think in two different languages and can communicate much better. The FAA has also taught me to learn about different cultures and that there is so much to learn outside of the classroom. 

Q: How do you think your experience as a student at The French American Academy differed from other students who learned in 1 curriculum?

I definitely have had a lot of rare opportunities to learn from 2 curriculums. This has allowed me to learn about things from two different perspectives. I’ve been able to compare French and American history, different ways of science, math, and so much more. 

Q: How did your time at The French American Academy prepare you for the challenges and opportunities you encountered in high school?

My time at the FAA has encouraged me to try new things and step out of the box. I know to be inclusive because of all the new kids from all over the world that would come to the FAA. The FAA has encouraged me to be kind to others and, most of all be curious and to take on a challenge with a positive attitude. 

Q:Were there any particular experiences, classes, or projects at The French American Academy that influenced your future field of study in college?

Ambassadeurs en herbe definitely introduced me to public speaking and has influenced my interest in political science and journalism.

Q: How did graduating from The French American Academy prepare you for your educational journey beyond the school?

I’ve learned to stay close to my teachers, take advantage of opportunities that come my way, that being supported by a close community is so important, and to get involved like in clubs and sports because that will go a long way in the future. 

Chantal on How the FAA Shaped Her Confidence, Teamwork, and Global Thinking

Chantal, alumni of the French American Academy (FAA), spent her formative years from 1st to 8th grade at the FAA before attending a Performing Arts High School. Now a freshman at Fordham University, where she’s majoring in Theatre, on the Performance Track, and minoring in Marketing, she reflects on the vital skills she honed during her time at FAA and how they continue to shape her today.

Q: What was your favorite thing about the FAA?

For Chantal, the FAA’s small, close-knit environment was key. “I liked that it was a small school, and the classes weren’t that big. It allowed me to make more friends and feel really close to my friends and teachers. I feel like I was always very close to my teachers, and I could go to them for things for school and things outside of school.”

The school’s field trips, which are part of the school’s curriculum, also stand out in her memories. “I really loved field trips, going on those week-long overnight field trips. You know, one of my first overnight school trips in third grade was to the Catskills, and then, from fourth grade through seventh grade, we went to places like DC, Philly, Boston, Canada, and Connecticut.”

Chantal also highlights the ample opportunities she had at the FAA, particularly when it came to performing and presenting. “I really liked all the shows I was part of during my elementary and middle school years, especially when we were able to start creating and writing our own shows. That was a really good way, especially when I was so young, to get into my imagination and my creativity.”

She also mentioned, “I also liked having a speech at graduation. It was like a lot of cries. I cried throughout my whole speech. We were able to write a speech and say it, and it was just a really good way to close my FAA chapter.”

Q: How did learning in a bilingual environment shape you?

Chantal notes how learning in both French and English provided more than just language skills,  “Learning languages in itself is already such a great skill. For the mind, training your mind really works when you’re learning two languages, and it’s also like it’s good in life to know two languages.”

She explains how the dual-language curriculum deepened her academic experiences. “And then, in other subjects like history, I learned European history in my French class, and I learned about French history. But at the same time, I’ve been learning about my American history, revolutions, and everything, and I really liked having two history classes because I got both sides of it explained and get both sides. It really helps enhance the learning experience.”

She also credits the FAA with broadening her global awareness. “I think it definitely opens my mind up to different perspectives. And it’s really good to have that. And so then you, as a young kid growing up, it teaches you that there is more than just one perspective. There is more than just an American view of things.”

Q: How did your time at FAA prepare you for the challenges of High School and College?

Chantal reflects on the projects she completed at FAA and the lessons they taught her. “We’re doing a lot of group work, and that’s another way to find friends and also build communication skills and teamwork skills. Learning to work with people at such a young age is a really good thing. I think because you’re going to need that skill for the rest of your life in college, in high school, and in jobs in the future, you’re always going to need to know how to work with other people.”

She adds, “I can say, yeah, that I think I’ve done a lot of presentations and projects in the FAA that definitely prepared me for high school. And when I got to high school, it almost felt like, I guess high school was hard, don’t get me wrong. But at first it almost felt easier. The workload almost felt lighter from the FAA because the FAA really prepared me for the world. Yes, I developed academic skills, but also life skills, like communication, for example. And that’s a really good part of the FAA that I really love.

“I think learning both languages at the same time and having a double curriculum, almost like a double schedule. I had almost every class in English and French. So it was almost like double the work. But that really helped me since it was like I started so young. It was kind of the only thing I knew, so it felt more normal for me.”

She continues “That definitely helped me learn tactics and studying and a lot of time management and organizational skills that I carry on to this day.

And like I said, balancing my work. And that’s a skill that people need to have their whole lives, even outside of school, balancing schoolwork or a job and social life. And as a college student, I have so many new classes and a new schedule.

And it’s really all about managing your time and not procrastinating. And that definitely got ingrained in my mind, to stay on track with your work, which will be a lifelong skill.”

Q: What made you get into performing arts?

Chantal’s passion for performing arts began at the FAA. She proudly mentions that she was one of the 40 students admitted to Fordham’s highly selective Theater program, “I think this was seventh grade. We did this storywriting unit in groups of two. We all wrote a story, then we voted on which story was our favorite, and we turned that story into a movie we made.

And yeah, it was just a whole lot of fun putting all that together. Like I said, it’s all about creativity and imagination and writing down your ideas on paper and then bringing it to life and actually seeing it in a media form in front of your face, and it’s really cool to see your work come to life.”

Q: Do you think attending an international school with students from different nationalities shaped your perspective on the world?

Chantal shares how the diverse student body at FAA expanded her worldview. “Yeah, and like I was saying about languages and learning about France, it’s the same thing with all the diverse students I met there [FAA] and all the friends I made who were from other countries or had different ethnicities than me. And being able to hear about their life story or where they’re from definitely made me like, gain more perspectives on the world, which is always a valuable thing to have.

It also forced me to think about the perspective of other places in the world. There’s so much more out there. And I love that there were so many diverse students that I did become friends with to learn about their place. 

That’s what I love about the FAA. It’s like, we’re not stuck in one box of the same type of people. It’s people from all over the place, from different towns, coming and coming together.”

Through her years at FAA, Chantal built a foundation of confidence, teamwork, and global awareness—qualities that will undoubtedly continue to guide her through college and beyond.

Zoe Zwecher is a testament to the power of immersion language education. While her family is not French or francophone, she grew up with the French American Academy from Pre-K2 to eighth grade. She’s now preparing to continue her French studies at the Ohio State University. It was interesting to hear what she had to say about being raised within our bilingual education system. 

Tell me about your background and educational journey thus far. 

I went to the FAA from preschool to 8th grade. It was the only school I had been to until high school. Now, I go to Northern Valley Demarest High School. I was never interested in sports, so I didn’t participate in any sports in high school or middle school. During my childhood summers until 5th grade, I attended the FAA summer camp with all my friends. I’m going to OSU as a French major, but I haven’t decided yet what I want to do after college.

What was it like to be educated in a francophone environment, coming from a non-French-speaking family?

I am the only person in my family who speaks French. When I was younger, my parents would tell people that I spoke French, and I would get so embarrassed! I didn’t want to let anyone hear me speak French. But now, as I get older, I realize it’s cool that I am the only person in my family who speaks it. I am so glad I had a bilingual upbringing. I never knew what a monolingual upbringing was like until I went to high school. I used to speak English at home and mostly French at school, but now I speak only English at school, which was a pretty weird adjustment.

Did you find that growing up with a bilingual education affected your worldview, your development, or your life in any particular ways?

At the FAA, we learned using the French and American school curriculums, and I feel that it definitely gave me a better understanding of the world as a whole and enriched my education, always giving me two perspectives on grammar, math, history, or any other subject. I currently have friends who never learned geography and other subjects/information that I did in school because their school did not use the French curriculum.

Have you got any specific memories or anecdotes that you treasure from your time at the FAA? Are there any teachers that stand out in your memory?

All my memories at the FAA are really fun and I genuinely never had a bad experience that I could think of. One of my favorite memories was in 7th grade when we went on a field trip to Connecticut and Rhode Island for five days. At the time, we all thought it was so random going there but we had a great time! Every day we laughed so much with each other and even with the teachers. So many memories were made there. 

Another fun memory was in 8th grade before COVID happened, it was in French class with Levie, Daria, Chantal, and me. Mme Venturelli was teaching a lesson and looked at the 4 of us dozing off. When she looked at us she said even she was bored teaching this stuff today, so for the rest of the period, we played music and danced in the class. I liked most of my teachers at the FAA, but the ones I connected with the most were the ones I had in middle school. Teachers such as Mrs. Karam, Mme Venturelli, Mr. Tourais, Cathy, and Ms Meena knew me so well and were like family to me.

Zoe’s answers were edited lightly for clarity. Photos courtesy of Zoe Zwecher. 

Julian Pilet graduated from the French American Academy 8th grade in 2019. He is now a freshman at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. 

Tell me about your “bilingual journey” – that is, when and why were you enrolled in the French American Academy, and why did your family choose a bilingual education for you? 

“My bilingual journey started the moment I was born; having a French dad, I was immediately assimilated into French culture as I frequently visited my family in France before I even started learning the language. That’s the main reason I was enrolled in the French American Academy when I was five years old: to be able to speak French with my family in France so I could grow closer to them. My family chose an early bilingual education for me also because I would basically be learning French and English simultaneously without being more proficient in one or the other, which, overtime, would help my brain development.”

Sometimes bilingualism benefits us in unforeseen ways … you never know when knowing multiple languages will open the world up unexpectedly. How have you benefited from your bilingual education? 

“Being educated in a bilingual environment has benefited me in so many ways. Firstly, it helped me grow simultaneously in American and French culture, which led me to have different interests in both. For example, French culture made me love soccer, and as a result, most of my idols as I was growing up playing soccer were French soccer players and players in Europe that I was introduced to by watching the French national team games and exploring soccer in different European countries. Secondly, my bilingual education helped me understand the relationship between the United States and France, such as in wars, how both languages sometimes intertwine, and how France and the United States affect each other societally. Thirdly, learning French and English helped me to proudly establish myself as a French and American citizen, in which I could speak both languages, have an understanding of both cultures, and delve deeper into my European roots. Finally, my bilingual education encouraged me to learn more languages. I feel like already being bilingual makes learning a third language much easier. Since entering middle school, I have studied Spanish (starting at the FAA), and I have recently been starting to learn Italian and Latin on my own. I have also continued to speak and study French in high school and college, and I plan to minor in French, which makes me incredibly happy as it will help me greatly in my future career.”

Tell me about your interests and academic pursuits. 

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve developed an array of interests: I love singing, playing music, playing open-world video games, playing soccer, helping the environment, as well as a few more. I developed all of these interests at the FAA, as I participated in a band in middle school where we practiced and performed, played video games with my friends almost every night, gained my love for soccer as I played on the school soccer team, and the importance of the environment was emphasized there, too, which gave me a sense of duty to protect it. In college, I’m looking to pursue a major in Environmental Science, Biology, or possibly even Botany. I remember being drawn to these fields ever since I started playing Minecraft. I always loved exploring the different biomes and was fascinated by how much different everything in one biome was from the other biomes. I’ve also been surrounded by nature my entire life: when I went to school at the FAA in Bergen County, occasionally, towards the end of the school year when summer was starting, I used to explore the woods behind the school with my friends. This was a core memory of my time there as the woods were filled with thick vegetation which made them feel endless, and I would explore them for hours. I also have a beautiful garden in my backyard, as well as plants inside and outside of my house, which I’ve sometimes helped maintain.”

Can you think of any fond memories, anecdotes, or unforgetable teachers from during your time at the FAA? 

“I have plenty of fond memories from during my time at the FAA. One of them was performing 7 Years by Lukas Graham at the winter concert with the band. It was a surreal experience as it was my first time being the lead singer for a song in general. That whole concert was a fond memory, actually. Two other fond memories were performing the seventh-grade play as we spent the whole school year planning it out and we performed it amazingly, and making the eighth-grade short film, in which I played the protagonist and had so much fun recording it.

“I also loved going on overnight trips; my favorite one was going to Arizona for a few days as I’d never been to the west of the U.S., and I got to see the Grand Canyon and the openness of the Mojave Desert.

“I have so many other fond memories at the FAA, but they wouldn’t have been possible without the teachers that made them happen. I had a number of outstanding teachers during my time at the FAA, and one of them was M. Brasseur. M. Brasseur was one of my favorite teachers as he helped me pursue my interests in music: he helped me learn the guitar, he formed the band, he taught me about music history, and he brought me and my classmates on extremely fun trips every so often. He truly made my experience at the FAA so much better than it already was. Another outstanding teacher I had was Mme. Venturelli, who helped me continue my education in French and also helped the class write the seventh-grade play and the eighth-grade short film. She also brought out the creativity in me which gave me a lot of confidence going into tough situations. The last of many unforgettable teachers was Richard, or M. Guyot. Richard was my gym teacher as well as my soccer coach for four years. Richard helped me develop my skills as a goalkeeper and created an unbreakable team bond. He made me love the beautiful game and I will always be grateful to him for that.”

The interview was edited lightly for clarity. All photos courtesy of Julian Pilet.