It is with the greatest pride and deepest pleasure to introduce to you Ariane Petyt, one of the amazing French teachers here at Niles West. She has been teaching at Niles West for the past two years. Many of her students have had her for both years in a row, making a goodbye even harder.

Unfortunately, Petyt will not be returning for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. However, she has made a lasting impact on the students that she teaches as well as the world language department.

Students, including sophomore Jamie Hoffman, who has spent both years with Petyt, have expressed their gratitude for being taught by her.

“Madame Petyt has been such an amazing teacher to have, not only is she great at French but she is also a fantastic person. I’ve learned all the French I know from her, and everyone in the classroom adores her,” Hoffman said.

Besides students, the Director of World Languages, Todd Bowen, expressed his appreciation for being able to work with Petyt.

“Madame Petyt is a positive, contributing member of the World Language Department. She brings a depth of experience and knowledge to the French program that have enhanced it. I’ve enjoyed working with her,” Bowen said.

When she was younger, Petyt grew up in both France and Boston. With moving between different places during her childhood, she offers a unique perspective when teaching her students.

“I went to an international school so I had a bilingual education. It’s totally shaped the person I am. While the cultures are different from France and the U.S. it really opened my mind. I was always around kids from different countries. You really get to see different ways of life, when I was in France and in the States. It [taught] me to be more accepting of different types of people. It also gives you the bug for traveling which I love doing,” Petyt said

Before working as a teacher Petyt worked in marketing. There she felt that she wasn’t really productive and that she could do something that would make a lasting impact.

“[Teaching] is a second career for me. I started teaching in 2016 officially. Before that, I went to a business school and I was working in the market research field in France. This was before I moved to the States and decided to switch careers. I thought the work that we did was meaningless. You’re just trying to find ways to sell people things and I wanted to do something drastically different and wasn’t so repetitive on the day-to-day, which teaching is not,” Petyt said.

Before working at Niles West, Petyt worked in a middle school where she experienced a completely different environment than working in a high school. Before working in a middle school, Petyt used to tutor students in French where she found her calling to teach.

“I love working in a high school. I love being able to connect with my students. I can be more myself as a teacher and a person when talking to kids of this age group. I’ve loved working in this school. I love the spirit, I haven’t experienced this before,” Petyt said.

When not teaching Petyt can be found traveling, crocheting, and taking care of her daughter. While she has learned many things from motherhood, there are a few things that stick out to her.

“I’ve learned to have patience which is a requirement for [teaching] and I’ve learned to let things go. Sometimes things happen in life that are difficult and you can’t hold on to it. You just have to let it go, move on and be happy,” Petyt said.

Merci, Madame Petyt, for your contribution to Niles West!