CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE |
KEYNOTE SPEAKER and workshop leader 2022Ryan Smith
2018 NADSFL Supervisor of the Year 2015 Nevada World Language Teacher of the Year. A former teacher of Spanish, Ryan Smith is currently an Assistant Principal of Vaughn Middle School in the Washoe County School District and an Adjunct Professor for World Language Teaching Methodologies at the University of Nevada, Reno. Previously, Ryan was the Career & Technical Education Program Coordinator and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) District Director in WCSD, located in the Reno/Lake Tahoe region of Northern Nevada. Ryan is also the Past President of PLAN (Professional Language Association of Nevada), Nevada’s 2015 World Languages Teacher of the Year, and most recently NADSFL (National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages) 2018 Supervisor of the Year. Ryan advocated for the Seal of Biliteracy in his state, led the statewide implementation of the Seal, and served on the committee to rewrite the Nevada Academic Content Standards for World Languages. Ryan is extremely involved in world languages on a local, regional, and national level. Ryan is the NCSSFL representative for Nevada, an active member of NADSFL, ACTFL, and SWCOLT, and was a member of the first cohort of LILL (Leadership Initiative for Language Learning). Most recently, Ryan co-authored the AP Spanish textbook, ¡Qué Chévere 4! (EMC Publishing, 2020) and is an active participant of LILL by creating and facilitating the annual summer leadership institute. |
LFLTA toy 2022Leigh Grace Rouyer
Leigh Grace Rouyer is a Baton Rouge native and began her teaching career by obtaining both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology from Louisiana Statue University and A&M College in 2008. She then began at St. Joseph's Academy of Baton Rouge as an English and Latin instructor until 2017, when she was able to focus solely on teaching Latin and offer more opportunities for her students to continue studying the language. Mrs. Rouyer has continued her education with a Latin Major Equivalency from various universities in 2015 and a Master of English degree from Southeastern Louisiana University completed in 2016. Leigh Grace is currently the Foreign Language Department Chair at her school and teaches four levels of Latin, including level III taught with her own curriculum as well as AP Latin. In the classroom, Leigh Grace is passionate about incorporating diversity and equity into her curriculum and frequently includes opportunities for representation for all students in projects and assignments. When asked about her goal that she has for her students, she responded that she hopes that learning Latin will allow them to experience Latin and, consequently, relate their lives to those who have gone before. In addition to teaching, she sponsors the Latin Club, which has grown to over 100 members in her time at St. Joseph's. Mrs. Rouyer organizes and oversees activities for members, as well as accompanies and chaperones students to Louisiana Junior Classical League events. At these events, the St. Joseph's Latin Club has placed 1st in overall sweepstakes 6 times. She enjoys including the community by guiding her Latin Club in service projects and community tutoring. In 2019 and 2021 she also led a Greek and Roman Summer Camp for girls in the Baton Rouge area to promote the classics, and combined mythology, history, and Latin to help students create art, stories, and STEM activities to connect the past with the present. Leigh Grace lives in her hometown of Baton Rouge and bleeds purple and gold. She married her college sweetheart and together they have 3 children: Everett, Willa Grace, and Camilla. They also have two dogs, Ellie and Minnie. In her spare time she loves to read and knit. |