Meet AFMSP

The mission of Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul, an independent chapter of a worldwide organization, is to serve our community by promoting the use and appreciation of French language and cultures through language classes, cultural programs, social events and information resources.

Our vision is to build a community of people passionate about francophone culture in all its global diversity, and want to become–through high-quality native language instruction along with authentic and exciting cultural activities and social events–the indispensable destination for all things French!

Join Us!

History

Founded in Paris in 1883, the Alliance Française promotes French language and culture. Worldwide there are over 1,135 chapters in 138 countries, with 130 chapters in the United States. The Alliance Française is the largest cultural network in the world. Each Alliance Française is governed locally and is operated as an independent, non-profit, non-political, non-discriminatory organization.

AFMSP Yesterday

The Alliance Française began in Minnesota in the 1920s with a small group interested in the language and culture of France, led by University of Minnesota Professor Jacques Fermand. By the 1950s, our local chapter had around 100 members. On October 29, 1975, the chapter was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Minnesota. Today, the AFMSP has more than 1,200 members and over 900 students annually.

AFMSP Today

Every month, the Alliance Française hosts many cultural events for French speakers and Francophiles of all ages. Monthly activities include film groups and book clubs of varying levels of French. We also have a club for high schoolers, a young professionals group, and monthly breakfast conversation groups for the community. Additionally, the Alliance Française hosts a yearly Bastille Day celebration, a yearly month-long Mois de la Francophonie celebration, musical events, concerts, lectures, conferences, holiday celebrations and more throughout the year.

Venez nous rendre visite !

We pay homage to the Dakota People, whose land on which we gather to allow us to share the cultural diversity of the francophonie, who were unfairly ceded in the Treaties of 1805, 1837 & 1851. With respect to the past, present, and future, we honor the Indigenous Peoples including the Ojibwe who have cared and continue to care for this land, their connections to it and the vibrancy of their cultures. Thank you for joining AFMSP in welcoming people of all backgrounds and traditions.

For a century, Alliance Française has been promoting French language and French-speaking cultures through language classes, social and cultural events and information resources in Minnesota. An independent chapter of a world-wide organization, our Alliance Française is the 6th largest in the United States.

AFMSP plays a pivotal role in representing the global diversity of the French-speaking world in the Twin Cities and Rochester. Regardless of your language proficiency, nationality or background, everyone is always welcome.

Each year, we host 120 cultural events featuring local and international authors, scholars and artists, celebrating international cultures. In addition to the classes taught at our offices, our programs in schools across Minneapolis, St Paul and beyond, inspire hundreds of children and young adults to become Francophiles and life-long French speakers.

Board of Directors

AFMSP Officers 2023 - 2024

Pam PAPPAS STANOCH, Chair

Carolee LINDSEY, CFO

Corinne LAWRENZ, Vice Chair

Jonathan VESSEY, Legal Counsel

Sofia TERZIC, Secretary

Directors at large

Esen AKIN Gregory ANTHONY
Philip BARNES
Vincent FRANCOUAL
Simin HICKMAN
Chris HOLDEN
Corinne LAWRENZ
Allison LINDBERG
Romain LORENTZ

Jeff LUNDGREN Roger SEAVER Caroline SELL
Mary SCHAFFNER
Isabelle SKOOG
Mickaël SUNELL
Bryn VAALER
Joanna ZAWISLAK

Joly Center Staff

Christina Selander Bouzouina

Executive Director

Christina (she/her) was born in Minneapolis and moved to Europe after college. After living in London and Montpellier, she spent nearly 9 years in Marseille, working as an English teacher and program coordinator in lycées and universities as well as several private institutions. Upon her return to Minnesota in 2007, she joined the Alliance Française de Minneapolis/St. Paul where she became the executive director in 2008. Christina was appointed Honorary Consul of France in Minnesota in 2014 and was named Chevalier dans l’Ordre de Palmes Académiques in 2015.

Alix Lewis-Sadrant

Education Director

Alix (she/her) is the Education Director at AFMSP. She manages educational programs and staff. She is from NE Minneapolis and returned close to home after living in France for about a decade. She lived in Nantes, which is definitely worth a visit! She has a BA from St Olaf College with a major in French and History and an MA from the Institute of French Studies at New York University. She also completed a degree in FLE (Français Langue Etrangère). She enjoys spending time with her family, running and biking and she also loves the visual arts.

Natalia Karczmarczuk

Cultural Programming Director

Natalia (she/her) was born in Poland. Arrived to France when she was five, she grew up in Caen, in Normandy, in a multicultural environment, speaking Polish at home and French at school. After living in New-Zealand for a year, she has worked ten years in the cultural sector as a Communication Manager, between Paris and Brittany. Before leaving her beloved Brittany in August 2018, she was working as a project manager in a graphic design agency specialized in real estate and architecture. When not working at the Alliance, she loves discovering Minnesota with her husband and their two little kids. Her highlight? Ice skating on frozen lakes!

Rachel Joyeux

Development Director

Rachel Joyeux (she/her) is a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where she began learning French as part of an Elementary Magnet School language program. In her role as Development Director, she works on the Annual Campaign and Capital Campaign fundraising, grant submissions and sponsorships, and organizes the annual gala and fall fashion fundraiser. Rachel has a Ph.D. in French from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where she specialized in Medieval French and Italian literature and researched in Montpellier, Paris, and Venice. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and son (and two cats), and she loves live music, ice skating, volunteering, playing Minecraft with the family, and traveling.

Brigid Mulloy

Administrative Coordinator

Brigid (she/her) grew up in MN where she started her French language journey in middle school. After graduating from DeLaSalle high school, she went on to study Cinema Art + Science at Columbia College Chicago, all the while taking French classes for her own enjoyment. She joined the Au Pair program and moved to Haute-Savoie to live, work and exchange cultures with an incredible French family. Completely charmed by the people of France and the cultural diversity of each region, it became a goal of hers to travel through the country to continue learning the language and meeting new people. She took her au pair skills to a family-owned 1950's Riviera-style hotel in Hyères where she worked as a nanny; She split her time between caring for two 1-year old babies, making cappuccinos in La Brasserie and giving meaning to the phrase lézarder sur la plage. She went on to study French at the Alliance Française de Bordeaux and solo-traveled throughout France from Normandy to Basque Country to the beaches of Nice. Her past times include playing guitar, cuddling her cat “Mimi”, and looking up the prices of flights. Don't forget to stop by the front desk to say “Bonjour” to Brigid and share your own stories of travel adventures!

Kristi manning

Marketing & Membership Coordinator

Kristi (she/her/hers) grew up in MN and is the daughter of a retired high school French teacher. At a young age, she started taking classes at Alliance Française and later attended the French language camps through Concordia Language Villages. Kristi's French education continued taking French in school, traveling to France with her family, and hosting two French exchange students during the summers. Kristi earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College where she also minored in Music and Film and Media Studies. In her free time, Kristi enjoys playing her flute, singing, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Brenna Mosser

Office Manager

Brenna Mosser (she/her) is a dancer. She studied dance for three years in London and then three years in France. She currently dances with ARENA Dances and Threads Dance Project, as well as running her own company, Brenna Mosser Dance Works. Brenna loves working at the Alliance! In her role she oversees AF’s gift shop La Boutique and especially its French Corner Bookstore. Outside of dancing and French, Brenna enjoys spending her free time on prairie restoration projects, reading sci-fi novels, and camping.

Eric Snyder

Facilities Coordinator

Eric (he/him) is a Minneapolis native, had been aware of AFMSP for a long time, and hoped to take classes here one day. Amazingly, he’s here! Eric is looking forward to engaging with the local Francophone and Francophile community in Minnesota, building his French language proficiency, and helping ensure that through his role, that AFMSP can continue to prosper. While he has no prior connections to France or la Francophonie, it was his first time reading (alas, in English), À la Recherche du Temps Perdu, that launched my interest in all things French.

Damien Sadrant

Education and Technology Advisor/Instructor

Bonjour from Damien! He has taught French at the Alliance since 2011. He comes from Vendée, on the French Atlantic coast, and now lives in Columbia Heights. He studied history and literature in Nantes. In a previous life he was a sailing instructor in Western France. When he’s not teaching, Damien plays guitar, cooks (he is a trained crêpier!) and he loves to fish and garden. He has a passion for language and culture, and absolutely loves grammar :D A bientôt!

Blandine crÉpin

Youth Programs Coordinator/Instructor

Blandine Crépin (she/they) grew up in Soissons, northern France. She has a BA in Anglo-American studies with a major in linguistics, literature and civilization. She completed her Master’s degree in FLE (French as a Second Language) & sociolinguistics in Manila, Philippines. As part of her BA, Blandine studied in UCC, Ireland. She started her teaching career in the Philippines, followed by Milwaukee and Kecskemét, Hungary! Blandine enjoys practicing yoga asanas, going on adventures and spending time in nature. Her only flaw ? Not being able to keep her plants alive.

Karine Cantin

Adult Education Coordinator/Instructor

Karine hails from Vendée, situated in the northwest part of France. After studying at the Université de Nantes, Karine came to Minnesota to teach French. She started with the Alliance Française in 1992 and has continued to be a key component of our teaching staff ever since. Her love of language and her desire to foster an appreciation and understanding of French culture is apparent in each of her classes.

Garance Valentin-Koepp

Cultural Programming Assistant/Instructor

Garance is from a little town near Provins, about 2 hours SE of Paris. She stayed in this region until she got her bachelors in History and English. Then she moved to Montpellier to get a Masters in Museums studies. She met a lot of international students during her time in Southern France, and loved sharing French culture with them and learning about their culture! She is a history nerd also loves singing, hiking, arts, learning about everything and nothing, and can quote both Astérix Mission Cléopâtre and Brooklyn 99 by heart. She arrived in Minnesota recently and enjoys teaching at the Alliance Française very much!

JON LIPP

Part-Time Receptionist

Jon Lipp (he/him) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated from Saint Louis Park High School. During college, he studied in Montpellier, France and attended Université Paul Valéry. Later, he attended the Professional French Masters Program at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and interned at a marketing research company in Reims. He has travelled extensively in France and Switzerland and can't wait to retire to the South of France. In his spare time, Jon enjoys baseball, football and hanging out with friends at home.

Ella Kooyer

Ella (she'/her) is originally from the small town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, but moved upriver to Minneapolis where she studied at the University of Minnesota. While fulfilling a language requirement for her dance degree, she discovered her love for the French language and (fueled by her love for the disney film Ratatouille) decided to add a major in French as well. She had a wonderful time studying abroad in Montpellier, France. She loves tarantulas, cooking vegetarian food, studying French Medieval Literature, and knitting. Her favorite French word is 'coucou!'

Ella Kooyer

Part-Time Receptionist

amanda Hertzel

Part-Time Receptionist

Our French Instructors

MERIEM ALAOUI

Instructor

Meriem was born and raised in Morocco, where she did all her schooling in the French system. She loves the French language and Francophone cultures, and has taught French to preschoolers and college students. After moving to the Twin Cities in 2011, one of the first calls she made was to the Alliance Française to inquire about French resources in MN! She started as a volunteer before joining the teaching team. Speaking, sharing and teaching in French in MN, among a wonderful group, has been a treat. In Morocco, she worked in international business development, then worked in finance, in the corporate headquarters of a multinational pan-African banking conglomerate. She has a BBA with a major in finance and int'l business, from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and a MS in Information Systems Management from Ferris State University in Michigan. She also holds a certificate in teaching French as a foreign language (FLE). She is passionate about keeping her roots alive, volunteering, and learning.

SARAH ANTHONY

Instructor

Sarah grew up in New Brunswick (Canada) and is of Mauritian and French descent. Although she is an East Coaster at heart, she has enjoyed living in many Canadian cities, such as Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. She has a PhD in French literature from the University of Toronto and has been teaching this fascinating language since 2001. She recently moved to St Paul from Montreal, where she was working at the French Language Centre at McGill University. She loves to share a good meal and laughter with family and friends, travel, dance and, of course, teach French ! Aren’t those the best things in life?

Ama eli boumi

Instructor

Ama (she/her) was originally born in Togo, and identifies as a global citizen. She made Minnesota her home two decades ago after getting her MA in international law from the university of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France) and BA in public administration from the university of Lomé (Togo). She has served the Minnesota state government in a variety of progressively responsive leadership roles. She is passionate about teaching, curriculum design and is pursuing an educational doctorate at St. Cloud State University. An avid world traveler, Ama loves exploring new horizons and embracing unknown world traditions. As a member of the Alliance community, she enjoys sharing her knowledge of the French and Francophone culture. One of her favorite activities is to share food recipes with her students (of course, the world is a better place when we share a great meal and conversation en français, n’est-ce-pas?)!

Sarah giddens

Instructor

Sarah is from MN where she fell in love with French language in her middle school class. She continued her studies at Washington University, where she studied French, Chinese and the Humanities. Her passion for building connections and communication took her to Kansas City where she worked in marketing and development for a non-profit community health clinic for two years. She followed the call of her love of French to pursue a teaching license and Masters in Education at the U of M, specializing in Second Language Education. After four years teaching high school French, Sarah is excited to continue to grow her teaching skills with the Alliance. When not teaching, Sarah enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband, discovering new books, cooking (and mostly eating) wonderful meals, spending time outdoors, and swing dancing!

Abdel Hamouchi

Instructor

Abdel is originally from Morocco, where he taught English as a foreign language for many years. He joined the Alliance Française team in April 2018, and feels fortunate to work as the host of Alliance Française’s Ciné Club as well as a part of a wonderful team of teachers. He is passionate about education, creative writing and cinema.

Marie-Jeanne Hargitt

Instructor

Marie-Jeanne was born in Lausanne, Switzerland. After receiving a degree in Elementary Education, she moved to Bogata, Colombia, where she taught French in a Swiss school and backpacked through South America. After returning to Switzerland, she did education research with a team of Swiss educators and conducted seminars for teachers. She arrived in Minneapolis in 1982 and has taught at the Alliance Française since 1983. Throughout the years, teaching French to children continues to be one of her many passions, as is evidenced by her work as a founder of the Normandale French Immersion Elementary School, and by her dedication to enriching the children’s programming at the Alliance.

Marie-victoria NELSON-MARTIN

Instructor

Victoria grew up in Toulon, France, where she would visit la Corse every school break; meaning she speaks with a mix of Southern French accents! Victoria went to university in Lyon & Ohio, where she earned her undergraduate diploma. She went back to studying in Lyon, where she received her Masters degree. Victoria is passionate about teaching French to all, she creates and teaches classes for kids and adults! Victoria loves art, watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and go on shopping sprees in her free time!

Sandra Vendé Nelson

Instructor

Sandra Vendé Nelson is originally from the Bordeaux region and has been a French teacher for about twenty years. She studied American poetry and got her MA at the Université d’Avignon, focusing on the poetry of Hart Crane. She moved to Minnesota from Southern France in 2001 and has lived in Austria for three years to teach at the French Institute. She has been part of the Alliance Française community for a decade, teaching adults and children. In her free time, Sandra loves to travel, hike, read and write.

Mabel Paredes-Nichtová

Instructor

Mabel was born and raised in the northernmost province in Argentina. She obtained her BA in Translation from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in the early 90s. Soon after, she moved to the Twin Cities to further her studies, obtaining an MA in Communications from Minnesota State University - Mankato. She has worked in education, translation and interpreting (Spanish-English). In 2010 she moved with her family to Belgium, where she studied French, led a conversation group at a nursing home and volunteered for American Field Service (AFS). Upon her return to Minnesota in 2022 she joined ISLA, where she teaches Spanish and coordinates an exchange students programs. In her desire to continue sharing her love for the French language and culture, particularly Belgian culture, she found AFMSP. Mabel, a social butterfly, enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, trying foods from different cultures, exploring arts and nature; and when possible loves spending family time with her three adult children.

Alain Perez

Instructor

Bonjour de Alain ! Originally from Cuba, Alain arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 25th, 2014. Having learned French at the Alliance Francaise in Havana, Cuba, he knew that he wanted to become a French teacher to share his passion for French culture and language. Alain is very happy to be part of the team of teachers of the Minneapolis Alliance.

Sandra rellier

Instructor

Sandra is from France but left right after high school in 2008. She attended the University of Minnesota from which, 12 years later, she also graduated with her Ph. D in “Hispanic and Lusophone Literatures and Cultures.” Though her degree is not in French, her dissertation focused on the memories of the Portugese retornados. In her free time, Sandra enjoys playing the sport Squash, spending time with her friends and talking to her family that lives in 3 different European countries.

Francine Roche

Instructor

Francine Roche is from Montréal, Québec. She has lived in Minneapolis for many years and has three children who all live here. Teaching the French language and francophone cultures has always been very close to her heart. She spent more than 20 years working with children and was a Montessori school director and also worked with French immersion programs here in the Twin Cities. She joined the Alliance Française in January 2011 and has loved every minute of it. She loves music and sings professionally in the Twin Cities.

Martine Sauret

Instructor

Martine Sauret was born in Paris, France. She received her Ph.D., in 1991 at the University of Minnesota. She taught at Western Michigan University and Macalester College, MN as an Associate Professor. She studies the relations between writing and space in cartography, art, and literature. She published several books ; Her most recent one, Errances et Cohérences dans les anamorphoses et les Trompe-l’œil : enjeux et pouvoirs de 1470-1600 was published by Peter Lang in 2022. She has written extensively many articles on Renaissance Literature, Early Modern France, and Francophone studies in various scholarly journals.

DELPHINE SHERWOOD

Instructor

Delphine is a French-American transplant, in MN since 2019, originally from N California and SW France (le Bearn and le pays Basque). She has attended international schools her whole life, including 4 years in Paris, where she obtained her International Baccalaureate. She got her BA in history at Vassar College and her MPA at Indiana University at Bloomington and has worked for international non-profits for the past 20+ years, living and working all over the world from Mali to Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Malawi with stints in Washington DC, NYC and Baltimore. She currently lives in downtown Minneapolis with her three small dogs and works for the Center for Victims of Torture, managing their program in Uganda. She is also a certified health coach and personal trainer. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her dogs, reading, shopping and travelling.

CORY STOCKWELL

Instructor

Cory is from Canada. After spending several years living in cities such as Montreal and Paris, he moved to Minneapolis in February 2020, just in time for the lockdown! He is currently enjoying getting out of the house more. He has a doctorate in comparative literature, and has translated several books from French to English.

Patricia Teefy

Instructor

Patricia Teefy is very excited to be the French teacher at the Alliance Française. She is originally from Minneapolis, but has lived in France and California. She has been teaching French language and literature for over twenty-five years from middle school to college students and adults, English as a Second Language, and even a little Spanish. She also speaks or has studied Italian, Portuguese, German, a tiny bit of Japanese, and Latin. Oui, she love languages! She has one son and two cats. In her free time, shes enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing pickleball, doing yoga and fitness, hiking, movies, cooking, gardening, travel, reading, and the outdoors.