Our Team
We are proud to have a dedicated and talented team with extensive expertise in the teaching of French and with a passion for our mission! Every day, they put their professionalism, creativity and energy into providing the best learning experience to our students and community.
C’est un travail d’équipe!
Teachers
Claude Batson
Claude is a French native speaker who studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and earned a “Diplôme d’Études Supérieures” in English. At the University of Virginia, she taught all levels of undergraduate French while earning a Master’s Degree in French. Later, she taught all levels of high school French-including AP classes- at Saint Anne’s Belfield and became Head of their Language Department. She also taught at Western Albemarle schools. Claude is currently teaching standard AFC classes based on specific textbooks, as well as courses she creates, such as guided discussions of literary works for advanced students or introduction to various themes of communications using cartoons, videos, short sketches for intermediate levels.
Kathryn Grant
Kathryn was raised in Charlottesville and found her passion for French while studying at the University of Virginia. After spending the summer of 2018 as an au pair for a family in Lille, France, she decided to declare her major in French language and culture. During her time at UVA, Kathryn had the opportunity to live in La Maison Française with her French speaking peers. At the Alliance Française, Kathryn has had the opportunity to teach private lessons, teach after-school French in a nearby elementary school, help lead children’s immersion camps, and assist in marketing. She has experience teaching all ages including high school French at the Covenant School. In her free time, Kathryn enjoys cooking, running, and spending time with her friends and family.
Stephanie Hall
Stephanie grew up in Canada where she began learning French at a young age. After receiving a B.A. Honors degree and a Teaching Degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, she enjoyed teaching art, French, music in elementary grades in Toronto and in Atlanta, GA. During the summer, she taught ESOL through the University of Toronto. Stephanie is currently a substitute teacher in Albemarle County Public Schools and is running a business from home. She teaches for the AFC after-school program and loves working with children of all ages. Her passions include spending time with her family and friends, languages, tennis, reading and art.
Pascale Hapgood, PH.D.
Born and raised in the southern part of beautiful Brittany, France, Pascale studied English and received both a “Licence” and a “Maîtrise” in English from the Université de Nantes. She moved to Charlottesville in 1988. Pascale received a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in French Language and Civilization from the University of Virginia. She is currently an adjunct professor in the UVA French Department. She has been teaching her native language for over 20 years. Pascale enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, playing tennis, and sharing exciting cultural experiences with her students.
Michelle Katstra
Michelle has a B.A. in French and a Master’s degree in Teaching, both from the University of Virginia. She worked at EuroDisney in Paris and taught French 1-5 AP at Charlottesville High School. In addition to teaching, Michelle assisted in creating an online French language and culture learning program for Marines who went to Senegal to serve. Michelle teaches for the Adult School and teaches French to grades 3-8 as well. She is the AFC after-school program coordinator. When Michelle isn't traveling with her 3 children for college and high school sports, she enjoys paddle boarding, reading, and playing board games with her family.
Sonia Stojanovic Lambert
Born in Serbia, naturalized French, Sonia is passionate about different languages and cultures. She attended Philology University in Belgrade and holds a “Maîtrise” in Oriental Languages and Civilization. In 1989, she moved to Paris where she lived and worked for almost thirty years. In France, Sonia focused on languages, cultural diversity, and travel. She worked as a freelance French-Serbian translator and a language assistant for a Paris-based editing company Video Adapt that provides all sorts of language services for French TV (ARTE, Canal+, TF1 ) and independent news agencies. She did her internship in “maternelles” (preschools) for children with learning challenges. For seven years, Sonia served as Event Coordinator for a musical cultural center that promotes diversity and artistic creation.
Sophie Parson
Sophie is a native of Nimes, France and has lived in many French regions: Brittany, Champagne, Alsace, Bourgogne and of course, Paris! She holds a Masters’ degree from Sciences Po Paris. She worked in international finance before moving to Charlottesville with her family in 2016.
Since then, she has been sharing her passion for French language and culture by teaching for the AFC. Sophie was the AFC Executive Director from 2018 to 2019. She is thrilled to be teaching for this terrific organization!
Lisa Sheffield
Though having had a French mother, Lisa did not actually learn the language until college when she spent her junior year in Paris. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in French and passed on her love of the language and Paris to her husband. Lisa has homeschooled her 3 children and teaches art to 5-6 graders at a local coop as well as making learning French fun and 'hands on' with the AFC after-school program and camps. If she's not teaching or volunteering around C’ville you can find her adventuring outdoors and eating French pastries with her husband.
administrative staff
Murielle de Wekker, PH.D.
Executive Director and Teacher
Murielle manages the daily operations of the AFC. She also teaches French. A native of France, Murielle has taught French as a Foreign Language in France, Finland, Canada and the United States. She has taught both adult learners and children at universities, private language centers, primary schools and even preschools. Murielle is a DELF/DALF certified examiner. She is a Lecturer for the Department of French at the University of Virginia. She holds a "Maîtrise de Français Langue Etrangère" from Bordeaux University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Virginia. Murielle loves teaching about all things French as well as about the diversity of francophone cultures.