Laura Zehr '26 will draw on her year in France to teach students both language and culture

Laura stands in the rain outside of the Luxembourg palace, smiling, holding a blue umbrella
Outside the historic Luxembourg Palace, where the French Senate meets, in a romantic rain — like you would expect in Paris. I was exploring the area toward the end of my second semester in Rennes.

What’s next for you?

I will work as a high school French teacher in the West Irondequoit Central School District.

I’ve been interested in teaching since junior year of high school. At first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to teach, because I’m into history, literature, music, and French. I realized I could incorporate all of that into French — French music, French literature, all of those things I love.

What are you most looking forward to? 

I really love watching students learn. I love seeing them work together, figure things out, and discover things. 

I am most looking forward to building meaningful connections with students and helping them to gain more confidence in trying out new skills/cultural experiences. 

What drew you to Naz? Has it prepared you?

I loved the study abroad opportunities here, especially being able to go to France for a full year. I knew that teaching a language is also about teaching a culture, and I couldn’t teach that unless I’d experienced it myself. I was struck by the value of family in French culture. Having dinner at the grandparents’ home every week was a really big thing, for example.

My professors at Naz have prepared me for success by pushing me to do things that are outside of my comfort zone and by challenging me to continue learning and growing in my professional career, which I will be able to model to my future students.

Laura holds a small brown puppy and smiles

Naz hosted time with puppies in the library. I came into Naz really shy, so this was a good opportunity to do something out of my comfort zone and meet people.

Best experiences in college?

My best experiences during my Naz education definitely came from my study abroad in Rennes, France. I had incredible opportunities to travel, to make friends from all over the world, and to participate in cultural activities with my French host family, like a cultural dance party called Fest Noz. I really learned how to be independent and to take my studies into my own hands. When I came back to Naz the next year, I was so much more confident in participating in campus activities that reflected my interests, and this newfound confidence helped me build stronger connections across the Nazareth community.

I still consider my host mom a second mom. We would go to the movies together all the time.

Laura poses in the mirror inside the french house

Posing at the French House on my first day of teaching observation, excited to go to a local school. I chose to live at the French House on campus my junior and senior year, for the French culture, to speak the language, meet students from France, and enjoy time with my friends who live there. The French House is its own mini community on campus.

What lesson will you take with you?

The lesson I will take with me from my Nazareth years is that learning and growing are not independent processes. There are always going to be people at Naz who are there to support and guide me, even as I start my professional career.

I learned from my special education practicum that it’s really important to ask questions when you’re unsure. It’s not a bad thing to go to someone else for guidance.

Who’s had a great impact on you?

Naz for me is a lot about the relationships I have with faculty. My education professor Dave Caiazza has definitely had a great impact on me during my time at Nazareth. While serving as my university-based teacher educator during student teaching, he helped me build the confidence to recognize the strengths I possess in my own teaching and use them to their fullest potential. For example, I am a sensitive, empathetic teacher, which I once thought could interfere with being strong and controlling a classroom. But he helped me see that the ability to relate to students is a strength.

Part of a graduating student profile series