Our Team

Executive Director, DELF/DALF Examiner

Anne-Élise was born and raised in Normandy and educated in France, Germany, and the United States, experiences that shaped her global and community-focused perspective. She holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Relations and International Cooperation, with a focus in Cultural Diplomacy, and speaks French, English, and German, with knowledge of additional languages (Spanish and French Sign Language).

Her background spans cultural institutions, tourism, and international environments, including work with the U.S. Foundation in Paris, The Monnet House in Giverny, and in events and hospitality at Busch Stadium.

After moving to St. Louis in 2023, she became involved with the Alliance Française, first as a volunteer and in January 2026, as Executive Director.

Anne-Élise leads with a strong commitment to people, community, and accessibility. She believes cultural institutions should be welcoming, inclusive spaces where dialogue, learning, and creativity can thrive.

Outside of her work, she is passionate about all forms of art and enjoys creative practices, from sewing to baking or making ceramics.

Consule Honoraire de France à Saint Louis, French Teacher, DELF/DALF Examiner, Former Executive Director (2009-2026)

Chevalier of the French Order of the “Palmes Académiques,” Consule Honoraire de France à Saint Louis, Isabelle was born and bred in Toulon (Provence). After studying law for two years at the Université of Toulon-La Garde, she “gave it all up for love” and moved to the U.S. in 1981.

After a diverse career across the country, she joined the Alliance Française de St. Louis in 1998 as a teacher/translator/lecturer/tour guide and became our Executive Director in 2009. Isabelle remained our Executive Director for 17 years until she announced her retirement in 2026, while staying on as a teacher going forward.

French Teacher, Educational Coordinator, DELF/DALF Examiner

Born in Picardie, France, Hélène holds a degree in Modern Literature and later pursued a master’s program in administrative law through the Institute for Public Administration (IPAG). After ten years at the Paris Police Prefecture, she paused her career to homeschool her three children. In 2023, Hélène and her family relocated to St. Louis, where she developed her passion for photography. Since September 2025, she has been teaching French and working as an Education Coordinator at the Alliance Française of St. Louis.

French Teacher

Aliru is a native of Côte D’Ivoire in West Africa. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages at Alassane Ouattara University of Bouake. He moved to Saint Louis in 2017 after a year in New York. Ever since, he has been working as a certified high school French instructor and qualified medical interpreter. He has been working at Alliance Française since November 2024, and he is currently studying to earn a Master’s degree in Education and Innovation at Webster University of Saint Louis. 

Prior to moving to the US, Aliru worked as a conference interpreter, translator, and ESL teacher. Throughout his career, Aliru worked as a facilitator to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers for international institutions, government officials, and private corporations.

Additionally, Aliru is passionate about football (soccer) for being a professional player in Côte D’Ivoire. In his spare time, he plays football, takes care of his family, and travels across the country to explore and learn about new places.  

French Teacher, DELF/DALF Examiner

Stéphanie is a native French speaker with many years of teaching experience both in the USA and in France. Passionate for languages, she graduated from the University of Avignon with degrees in English and French instruction, and can also teach Italian and Spanish. She has been part of the Alliance Française team since 2012 and is proud to teach diverse classes and private lessons within the association.

French Teacher

Myriam has worked at the Alliance Française de St. Louis since 1980. Born in Provence, she went to university in Paris and then studied at the University of Texas at Austin. She has a Master's in French, German, and Spanish. In 1980, she received her doctorate.

Myriam taught at the University of Texas at Austin, Cardinal Newman College, and for 18 years at Webster University in St. Louis. Myriam is retired but loves teaching and continues to give courses at the Alliance Française.

French Teacher

Francis is a bilingual Program and Workforce Development professional with a strong focus on refugee integration, adult education, and cross-cultural training.

He currently supports refugee communities through his work with the International Institute, helping individuals successfully transition into the U.S. workforce through employment readiness, training, and program coordination.

In parallel, he serves as a French instructor for adults at Alliance Française de Saint Louis, where he designs and delivers engaging, practical language training programs tailored to professionals and multicultural learners.

His expertise includes program coordination, stakeholder engagement, adult learning, and workforce integration strategies. He is passionate about building inclusive systems that empower individuals and strengthen communities.

French Teacher

Jenna is a Kentucky native who is new to the St. Louis area. She has studied French since high school and has earned an M.A. in French from the University of Kentucky and an M.A. in Romance Languages and Literature from Harvard University. She spent a year teaching English in Chaumont, a small town in the east of France, from 2017-2018. She has three years of experience teaching French at the undergraduate level and is currently teaching both adult learners at the Alliance Française and high schoolers at a local private school. Her favorite part of teaching French is helping students of all ages gain the confidence and courage to put themselves out of their comfort zone and use their language skills in real-life situations. 

When she is not teaching, Jenna is a hobby addict and can be found at the rock climbing gym, on her couch reading or knitting, or in the kitchen baking. She also loves bird-watching and being outside. Jenna lives in St. Louis with her husband and cat.

French Teacher, DELF Examiner

Marie-Claire is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and French is her first language. With a bachelor’s degree in public and international law, she has experience in administration and international affairs. Marie started teaching in the U.S. in 2012, and her enjoyment of teaching brought her to study education here in the States.

French Teacher

Dominique grew up in France where he studied American Civilization and Art History at the University of Paris in Nanterre. He came to the USA in 1992 as an exchange student and teaching assistant at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he had a chance to study photography and painting, before moving with his wife to St. Louis in 1997, where he divides his professional time between teaching photography and professional wedding photography. He enjoys spending time with his family including exploring wilderness areas with them.

French Teacher

Firouzeh Soltanshahi is an American-Iranian woman who went to fulfill her dreams in France where she received two Bachelor’s degrees in Modern Literature and French as a Foreign Language. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Translation. Firouzeh is a lecturer at SIUE and teaches 2 sections of French 101 and 102 for the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. In addition to teaching and tutoring, she loves yoga, meditation, swimming and camping.

French Teacher

Morgan is a Missouri native with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in French Language and Literature from Saint Louis University and l'Université de Poitiers. She has lived and taught in Poitiers and Lyon, France, where she studied and worked at the university level. Her teaching experience spans learners of all ages, from young children to graduate students to lifelong learners. Outside of teaching, Morgan has worked in interpreting, international development, and academia. She strives to use French throughout her daily life and finds deep joy in sharing the language and francophone culture with students.

French Teacher

Martin is a native French speaker from the Anjou region. He also spent several years, between the ages of 10 and 18, at his paternal home in La Réunion.

After graduating with a Master’s degree in Translation from the University of Angers (2011), Martin moved to the U.S., where he started teaching French in 2013. He earned his Doctorate in French Linguistics from Indiana University in 2022.

In his spare time, Martin enjoys reading, listening to music, and visiting museums and French castles.

French Teacher

Marko offers a distinguished, interdisciplinary approach to language acquisition at the Alliance Française. Drawing upon a B.S. in Psychology and two years of professional immersion in Geneva, Switzerland, he frames linguistic development as both a rigorous cognitive milestone and a nuanced cultural performance.

With professional proficiency in French and Spanish, Marko specializes in dismantling communicative barriers through the strategic integration of French dramatic arts. By utilizing role-play and expressive phonetics, he cultivates a high-performance environment where students refine their articulation and command the "allure" essential for sophisticated, high-stakes expression.

Marketing Manager

Matthew is a St. Louis native who fell in love with the French language in his first class in high school. Feeling rebellious and not wanting to take Spanish like everyone else, he took four years of French. After a long 10-year break and forgetting most of what he learned, Matthew’s partner suggested picking up a foreign language, and that’s when they found the Alliance Française de St. Louis in 2017.

As a Marketing Manager by trade with a Master’s in Communication, Matthew offered his services to the Alliance in August of 2017 and has been our Webmaster/Marketing guy ever since.

Matthew holds a special fondness for Québec and Canadian French in his heart, and he’s been to Québec several times. He would be happy to tell you the best place to get poutine in Montréal if you should ask!