Isabelle Agnew
Being bilingual was a natural process for Isabelle who ended up working in the Government.
Their Stories
From Olympians and journalists, to business executives, and teachers, all agree that bilingualism has enriched their lives. Discover stories of French Second Language graduates who found learning French positively impacted all aspects of their lives today.
Jason Alcorn
Jason learned from a young age the advantages of speaking two languages.
Meagan Blacquiere
She learned science while learning French and that led her to pursue Med school
Michael Sanderson
Michael is a radio host, Journalist being bilingual has let him communicate with a wider audience
Anahaero Doelle
Anahaero was able to fulfill her dream of becoming a circus performer thanks to the French she learned growing up
Thomas Haslam
Student at University/Explorer Program, French helped this young man decide his future
Keara Lundrigan
Law Student, French paved the way for Keara to work at the government
Tammy Manor
Teacher:Tammy discovered opportunities and new skills after becoming bilingual
Jeff Butt
He has created opportunities for his community to use French in a sports environment. Director of Policy + Tae Kwon Do
Connor MacIntosh
Connor's path learning French opened doors and brought lifelong friends.
Areta Boone
The first time she traveled to a Francophone country she realized how lucky she'd been to take French in school.
Miles Turnbull
Going from unilingual to bilingual was like a walk in the park for Miles.
Natalie Pendergast
Communications/Community Relations PM: Through culture, Natalie mastered French, which she has used all of her life.
Joey Kitson
Musician/Learning Manager at Holland College: A musician who learned French and his kids who decided to learn it because of their father.
Paul Killom
His second language learning improved his achievement in other assignments.
Rosalyn Ridlington Abbott
Speaking two languages has been an essential part of her career as an educator
Brenda Gallant
It took her some time to value the benefits of being bilingual and she hasn't looked back
Colin MacDonald
Teacher: French has helped him get every job he's ever had.
Emily Colin
Learning French let her connect to her roots and discover her heritage.
Phillipe de Montigny
He was able to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a journalist and keeps being involved in the Francophone community
Adam Gushaty
Adam plans and conducts flight tests on all Royal Canadian Air Force helicopters. He credits his success to his bilingualism
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine competed at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in cross country skiing
Victoria Wishart
Victoria’s company, has numerous clients from French-speaking regions, thus whenever a French inquiry comes in, she has the pleasure of being the contact person
Anita Rudichuk
Media: Anita helps her students have fun while learning about various cultures and traditions through dance
Marcie Brulotte
Marcie has instilled a love of language and the value of a bilingual education in her children, whom are also enrolled in a French Immersion program.
Cynthia Marks
Cynthia has always had a passion for languages and is thrilled to be able to work on subtitles in different languages for movies and television shows
Katherine Evans
Through her bilingual interactions with the public, she has met some amazing people from all over the world
David Taylor
David works for a bilingual law firm based in Ottawa, Vancouver and Moncton
Rachel Black
Cultural Anthropologist: After developing a keen interest in French culture during her immersion experience, she completed her undergraduate studies in French history, language, and literature
David Helliwell
Smart Energy and Software Business: French has been an asset throughout David’s career. With his bilingualism, he has drummed with West African music groups and has travelled the world as a professional windsurfing racer.
Will Stroet
After teaching as a French Immersion teacher for several years, Will developed a side project as a musician. He now performs bilingually
Pierre Chinniah
Unsure of how he wanted to pursue a career in the field, he began culinary school in Paris, France
Blythe McKay
Director of Broadcast Resources: Blythe began university wanting to be a veterinarian, but after an academic switch, she rediscovered the usefulness of her French, pursing a degree in international relations
Barry Hartman
After graduating from high school, Barry moved to Whistler to pursue a career as a professional snowboarder–a career that introduced him to francophone friends, and allowed him to travel around the world
Jeffrey Chang
In one of his first jobs out of university, Jeffrey spent several weeks a year in France interacting with client
Casey Edmunds
Francophone Jeunesse: Casey works with the Francophone Youth organization of Alberta to engage young francophones and francophiles with francophone culture
Marjie Brown
Marjie has spent much of her professional career working entirely in French, and currently works for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Maryse Bernard
Musician and Bilingual Journalist: Maryse is a bilingual journalist with Radio-Canada as well as a musician
Jennifer Burke
Now Digital Strategy in Switzerland: Jennifer was part of the French language pilot program in Whitehorse, YK. She now lives in a francophone region of Switzerland
Danielle Lang
Danielle was part of the first class of Immersion in Yukon in 1981 and has been teaching French since 2002
Lori Simcox
Worked for Fed Gov/Owner of Unity Clothing Boutique: French has been useful to Lori, who has worked as a consultant for many projects with the Federal government
Claire Ness
Claire studied performing arts at l’Ècole nationale de Cirque in Montreal, where she met friends from around the world
Jessica Lott Thompson
Lawyer/Director of YK Human Rights Commission: Jessica has dedicated her career to ensuring the rights of others are protected, in both official languages!
Rebecca Alty
From a young age, Rebecca always knew that learning another language could open doors in the future. As mayor of Yellowknife, by speaking French she's able to serve Yellowknife's Francophone communities.
Cole Marshall
Learning French allowed Cole to reconnect with his roots and meet Francophone visitors in the Northwest Territories.
Cole Marshall
Cole est un golfeur professionnel au Yellowknife Golf Club. Apprendre le français lui a permis de renouer avec ses racines françaises et de rencontrer de nombreux visiteurs francophones sur le territoire!
Rebecca Alty
Dès son plus jeune âge, Rebecca a toujours su que l’apprentissage d’une autre langue pouvait ouvrir des portes à l’avenir. En tant que maire de Yellowknife, en parlant français, elle peut servir les communautés francophones de Yellowknife
Avery Rueb
From the United States to France and Canada. Discover how French changed this entrepreneur’s life and the impact it had on his career.
Melissa Spensieri
Dancing helped her become fluent in French. She now owns a dance studio and is able to communicate with her students in both languages.
The Honourable Mahmud Jamal
Learning French led him to a career in law and now, he serves as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Learn about Justice’s Jamal inspiring story: from immigrating to Canada, learning French and being able to hear cases in both official languages.
Sandhya Mylabathula
Sandhya’s journey learning French started in the third grade. Sandhya currently studies the impacts of concussions on neurological function. Speaking French has helped her reach a much larger audience and has greatly enhanced her career opportunities.
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Partners & Sponsors
This project has received the support of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Radio-Canada, and the Department of Canadian Heritage
