Sep 29, 2025
When Jesse Barnard stepped into the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on Friday, she was flooded with fond memories. Barnard graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in French and returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in education in 2020. This time, Barnard came back to take part in UMSL’s World Languages Day celebration as a French teacher at STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley, bringing 12 French students, while the school’s Spanish program brought 50 more. Fellow UMSL alumni Caitlin Crain and Amy Roznos also returned for the event, teaching Spanish and French at Francis Howell Central High School. “Coming back, it makes me feel proud bringing students here and to be able to say, ‘I went here, and it’s great,’” Roznos said.
The Department of Language and Cultural Studies organized the event for the sixth year in a row, hosting more than 700 high school students from across the St. Louis region. “It’s part community engagement and part recruitment because some of the kids never would have a chance otherwise to come to campus,” said Trapani, teaching professor of French and department chair. The day featured performances, language games, and interactive activities, including Janken Pon, a Japanese version of Rock Paper Scissors. Barnard, Crain and Roznos said they were proud to return and hoped the experience would inspire their students to continue studying languages at UMSL.
