Bonjour! My name is Rishani De Costa, and I am delighted to introduce myself as the interim secretary of the AAFT Indiana. I originally come from Sri Lanka, then I moved to France at the age of twelve with my parents. I completed my middle and high school in France and my undergraduate degree at the Sorbonne University. My mother tongue is Sinhala, and I learned French after I moved to France which has greatly enriched my life.
After, I moved to the United States to continue French Studies at Minnesota State University, then to Indiana University, Bloomington to study French Linguistics. I have been teaching for nine years, four as a teaching assistant, and currently, I work as an assistant professor of French at Marian University and this is my fifth year at Marian. Teaching has become my passion; I enjoy creating engaging activities that incorporate cultural elements to make learning the French language both enjoyable and meaningful.
In addition to teaching, I love traveling and reading, which allows me to explore new cultures and ideas, and to improve myself. I also take great joy in teaching students in Sri Lanka and collaborating with local teachers to promote language education. I believe in the power of language to connect people. I look forward to working together with the AAFT team to accomplish our goals.
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey!
My name is Clémence Guedou and I am originally from Benin in Western Africa. I immigrated to The United States after a college degree in Sociology- Anthropology and a brief work experience in my home country. It took a couple of years to find my way into Teaching French to High schoolers as I navigated the education words teaching Survival English to adult immigrants at North East Community College in Nebraska for a couple of years and then being an assistant for a developmental Preschool in Indianapolis until 2021 when I made the transition to Secondary education Teaching through the Transition to Teaching program at IU. I have been teaching French to 9 to 12 grade at Herron Classical Schools in Indianapolis since then.
It is a pleasure to be part of the AATF team as interim treasurer, another learning opportunity, and cannot wait for new experiences to be made there.
I love traveling, reading, and hiking.
AATF Indiana 