Born and raised in France, I was lucky enough to meet my husband on the streets of Paris! 2 boys and a few years later, I am happily living in Southern California and working as a marketing executive. While I have welcomed the American way of life and its culture, I have never let go of my French heritage.
Creating EFLA-FLAM came from a true desire to share this heritage within the Long Beach community. At EFLA-FLAM, your children will not only learn the French language, but also its culture and traditions in a fun and interactive way.
My vision is to create a small community where parents who share an interest in the French language and culture can transmit this interest to their children through the EFLA-FLAM classes and activities. This program is designed to provide structured and quality, yet affordable French lessons to our community. Children will learn while having fun and parents will be kept abreast of their progress all along the way. We are all volunteers at EFLA-FLAM. So come and join the group and help us develop extra-curricular activities to celebrate French culture.
I was born and raised in Rosny-Sous-Bois, in the suburbs of Paris. I arrived in Long Beach with my husband in 2005. I have two boys born in 2006 and 2009.
When my friend Florence Simms, President at EFLA-FLAM, shared her wish to create the association in 2012, I thought it was a wonderful idea and a great opportunity to meet francophone families in our neighborhood.
I’m glad that since 2012 the association has expanded, and that Christelle and Anne-Laure have joined the EFLA-FLAM team to open the Orange County branch.
I arrived in Irvine in 2013 to follow my husband, accompanied by my two boys, who were 3 (Aurele) and 6 (Ulysse) years old at the time. They had the opportunity to attend a French-American accredited school for 2.5 years. When we learned that we would be staying in the United States, we decided to enroll them in public school so they could experience neighborhood life, walk to school, etc.
Attached to my French culture and having moved several times throughout my life, I wanted to offer my children the privilege and the opportunity to be bilingual. I enrolled my older son in the CNED program for a year, but quickly realized we needed a more balanced solution for our family. That’s when I met Christelle, and together we embarked on what started as a “small project” – opening the Chapitre Irvine, affiliated with the program of Florence and Faustine.
I never imagined that, a few years later, we would still be here with over 80 students and a program that spans from early childhood to high school.
Little text that describes Christelle
