Kaitlin has been the secretary for the  American Association of Teachers of French - Minnesota Chapter since 2022.

Kaitlin's story
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My first encounter with the French language was in my ballet classes growing up, where we had to memorize and translate many French terms. These years sparked an interest in me in learning the language. I attended my elementary school’s French Club when I could, but sadly, my junior and high school did not offer French. I took my first class at St. Olaf College in the fall of my freshman year and loved it even more than I had anticipated. Then, after spending a month in Morocco studying French and living with a French-speaking family, I returned to Northfield knowing that I wanted to focus on improving my language skills and finding more opportunities to use French in my life. For this reason, I changed my major to French.
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My travels and study created a unique opportunity for me to build relationships and learn about new places and cultures.  That was one of the reasons that I chose to do a semester abroad in Rennes, France before graduating with my Bachelor of Arts in French from Saint Olaf in 2019.
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In one of my more courageous moves, I applied to the French intern program, was selected, and that fall traveled to St. Etienne, France as a teaching assistant. Working in schools as a language assistant confirmed my desire to become an educator. I returned to Minnesota, earned my teaching license and Master's of Education in Multilingual Education from the University of Minnesota, and the fall of 2021, was hired as the French teacher at Harding Senior High School in the Saint Paul Public School District.
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I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with excellent French educators. My professors at Saint Olaf encouraged and challenged me and continue to inspire me in my own teaching. Maureen Elwell Peltier, our AATF president, and Lisa Showers, a French Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) in the Saint Paul School District, took me under their wings from my first year in the district offering advice, resources, and friendship. Jenny Funkhouser, my direct predecessor at Harding, left me resources, gave me advice, and helped in my transition into the role. Our AATF Minnesota board welcomed me warmly and has time and again provided wisdom, encouragement, and a listening ear in these first few years of my career. 
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Now in my fourth year at Harding, I am continuously grateful for the community I have there amongst my colleagues, students, and their families. I love getting to see my students progress through their years of French and embrace language study as a way of learning about cultures and histories around the world, as a way of building relationships, and as a way of learning more about themselves.
It is a distinct privilege for me to be able to serve the French educators of our state through this board.

Every now and then, I think back to my first day in French class as a naïve freshman and can't help but pinch myself for making it this far.
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Contact information for Kaitlin

secretary.aatf.mn@gmail.com