Jael Guest

Studying languages and cultures is the core of Jael's life. She is a proud Academy alumnus and a recent graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in French and Francophone Studies and minors in Honors, Arabic, and Linguistics. She first fell in love with languages in David Durham's French classes at the Academy. She began studying Arabic on a trip to Beirut, Lebanon, and has since dabbled in Mandarin, Japanese, Swahili, Italian, Spanish, and Wolof, among other languages. As languages are inseparable from the cultures that speak them, she has taken every opportunity to travel abroad. In college, she spent her sophomore year studying in Caen, Normandy. While there, she also traveled to Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Belgium. She studied abroad in Senegal the following summer and walked the Camino Ingles in Spain.

While living in France, she taught English at a local middle school and fell in love with teaching. She then became a private French tutor and also tutored at MTSU. To encourage a love of languages amongst her peers, she helped found the World Languages and Cultures Club at MTSU, where she led activities for a French conversation practice group.

Jael is a firm believer that education should develop a person holistically, not only stretching their critical thinking and academic capabilities, but also expanding their empathy, broadening their worldview, and deepening their appreciation for the beautiful diversity of God's creation. She is thrilled to share her passion for languages and cultures with the next generation of Academy students!