Jana Willcock

Class: 2003

Jana is currently working as a French teacher at Alameda High in the Bay Area. She has also taught French in many different levels and capacities, including at Sequoia Adult School, Cactus Language Training in San Francisco, doing classes for homeschool students of all ages, and even Immersion French for preschoolers at Blue Moon Learning Center. Her favorite students, though, are her three daughters, who are learning French at home and at the Francophone Charter School of Oakland. She also obtained an MA in French from SFSU in 2008. Jana says, "Studying French at SSU opened a new world to me. I made a lifelong friend who introduced me to the TAPIF program, and lived in Paris with her in 2003 as an assistante d'anglais. At SSU, my French language skills were brought from a high school level to one that would allow me to function in France. My professors there really invested in me, and as a result, I gained an appreciation and understanding of literature and cultures of all kinds. My experience living abroad also helped me gain empathy for all immigrants."