Four Holy Cross Students Accepted into Teaching Assistant Program in France

Four members of the Holy Cross Class of 2014 have been accepted into the Teaching Assistant Program in France, a seven-month assistantship that will have them teaching English to French-speaking students. The program is sponsored by the Higher Education Department of the French Embassy in the United States.

Alexandra Constantine, of Commack, N.Y., is an English major and French minor with an environmental studies concentration. She will be teaching in the school district of Créteil. She is considering a career in teaching, and has a strong interest in dealing with food security. She is going to use this experience to gauge her interest in education, but she also has strong aspirations to use her writing and  communication skills to support an equitable food system. Her long-term goal is to publish a novel.

Jessica DeVito, of Andover, Mass., is a French major in the health professions advisory program. She will be teaching middle school/high school students in the school district of Reims. She is considering teaching or a working in the health professions.

Kristina Kutsukos, of South Glastonbury, Conn., is a French and religious studies double major with a peace and conflict studies concentration. She will be teaching at a high school in the school district of Marseille. She is considering a career in education, and is looking to explore her passions uniting religion with political issues and working for peace.

Lily Meehan, of Wayne, Pa., is a French and art history double major. She will be teaching in the school district of Dijon. She plans to go to graduate school for decorative arts design as well as art business. She would like to work in an auction house or art gallery.

Each year, more than 1,100 American citizens and permanent residents teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. Participants gain excellent teaching experience and first-hand knowledge of French language and culture.

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