IES Abroad: Can you share some of your favorite memories from your time studying in Nantes, especially with your host family?
Kojo Clarke (KC): During my time in Nantes, my host family’s warmth and openness left the most lasting impression on me. Their genuine efforts to make me a part of their family were profoundly touching. Whether inviting me to join their extended family gatherings, allowing me to host my own friends (for a weekly poker night, for example!), or maintaining our bond long after my stay, their kindness made my experience in Nantes truly unforgettable. Another particularly vivid memory is discovering paella when my host mother made it—a dish that I came to discover many already know about, but few can make from scratch. It taught me the joy of do-it-yourself gourmet. And I have since been courageous to try new things in the kitchen. To this day, I still cherish and use the galette recipe my host mother emailed me back in 2010—another dish that I stumbled upon in French restaurants and loved because it is gluten-free!
IES Abroad: What motivated you to extend your stay in Nantes from one semester to a full academic year, and how did that decision impact your French language skills and overall experience?
KC: The decision to extend my stay in Nantes from one semester to a full academic year was significantly influenced by my host mother's encouragement. She recognized my progress in just a few weeks and motivated me to continue immersing myself in the language and culture. In practice, she would sit with me almost every evening, look over my homework, share ideas, and explain the concepts I was trying to learn, but in her own way. Thus, when the encouragement came from her, I knew it was sincere. I still had to overcome the hurdle of my college's rules since I was already an international student from Ghana studying in the United States—we were capped at a semester since we were technically already “studying abroad” in the United States. However, our international office made a life-changing accommodation for me when I talked about my desire to ensure multilingualism as part of my career goals. Their endorsement reinforced my determination, and this extension profoundly impacted my French language skills, allowing me to achieve a level of fluency I hadn't anticipated, and the prolonged stay enriched my overall experience, deepening my understanding of French culture and solidifying lifelong friendships.
IES Abroad: How has your connection with your host family influenced your life and career path since studying abroad?
KC: During my time in Nantes, I discovered a new version of myself—one imbued with the confidence to venture outside myself and the courage to embrace new and unfamiliar experiences. This newfound sensibility has been invaluable, and I sometimes imagine it akin to when Beyoncé transforms into Sasha Fierce, empowering me to take on challenges with boldness and creativity in service of learning. In my teaching career, I often channeled my host mother's care, concern, and above all, her patience. She taught me that everyone is a learner and that not everyone needs the same outcomes. Her influence shaped my approach to education, ensuring that I provide a supportive and nurturing environment for all my students—most of whom are seniors these days since I work mostly with Medicare clients!
IES Abroad: How did your experiences in Nantes shape your decision to pursue teaching French in Ghana and later in the United States?
KC: After leaving the US in 2009, I initially “fell” into teaching as a substitute teacher in Ghana. French was a convenient and immediate opportunity, but it was during this period that I fell in love with teaching, students, and schools. This newfound passion gave direction to my skills. Returning to the United States for graduate school in 2012 allowed me to combine my French language proficiency with enhanced teaching abilities, ultimately shaping my career path as an educator. Although I have continued to grow and evolve, my time in Nantes laid the foundation for this journey, providing me with the cultural and linguistic immersion that would later become central to my professional life.
IES Abroad: Can you tell us about your role as the Director of DEI at a private school in Connecticut and how your background with IES Abroad influenced your work in this position?
KC: My diverse experiences—living as a "native" in Ghana, then as a “foreigner” in the US, and later as a “foreigner” in France—exposed me to both insider and outsider perspectives. By the end of my year in Nantes—and owing to my newfound language fluency - new friends often assumed I was French, giving me a unique blend of familiarity and foreignness. Reflecting on these experiences shaped my understanding of how students navigate their own insider and outsider dynamics at schools. While both feelings of foreignness and familiarity offer valuable insights, my work in DEI has been driven by the recognition that many people native to a place often feel like outsiders, which shouldn’t be the norm. My goal has thus been to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging, informed by the empathy and awareness I developed through my study abroad experiences. I believe feeling like an outsider for too long can become detrimental.
IES Abroad: Reflecting on your participation in the IES Abroad virtual panel, "Exploring a World of OpportunitIES with our Black Correspondents & Alumni," what insights did you share, and what did you take away from the experience?
KC: Reflecting on my participation in the IES Abroad virtual panel, I had a profound "circle of life" moment upon realizing I was the oldest panelist :) It was both humbling and heartening to witness the immense talent surrounding me. I shared my gratitude for the opportunity overall created by IES Abroad, and the openness of my host family to make this a rich experience. But I also took away lessons about the importance of seizing opportunities if you’re a student and how critical it is to elevate and support those from historically (and often currently) marginalized groups if you have the authority to do so. The experience reinforced my belief in the potential for growth and expansion when given the right opportunities. Seeing the passion and dedication of the younger panelists filled me with hope and motivation to continue advocating for inclusivity and empowerment in all spheres of life.
