Bonjour.
I am Cathy Stresing "stray-zing" and I have been on the AATF-WI board for four years. I am happy to continue as awards chair and co-chair of the Concours Oral. I am newly retired after teaching in several districts across the state for 34 years. I am thrilled to be able to continue supporting French teachers and programs.
My French Journey
In Junior High, as it was at the time, we had to take Spanish and French for nine weeks each. Initially, I signed up for Spanish but then I fell in love with French thanks to my awesome teacher so I switched. In high school, I found success and joy in studying this beautiful language. Between my junior and senior years, I somehow convinced my parents to let me go on an AFS trip to Tunisia. It was a fabulous experience full of personal growth and improvement of my French abilities.
I continued to find success in French at UW-Madison. In my first semester, it was the smallest class I was in so I found a niche. The twelve retro-credits made it easy for me to decide to work towards a French major. While spending my junior year in Aix-en-Provence, it became clear that I wanted to share my love of all things French with others and teaching called my name. I still remember the names of many of my French professors.
I have taught across the state, mostly in middle and high schools. My joy is found when I see the "I get it" look on students' faces and when they make me laugh with their silly observations and questions.
Contact
If you have questions about the AATF and our awards, please reach out!