UWG Graduate Shares Her Love for French Culture Share this page
University of West Georgia graduate Kailey Covera ‘25 has proven herself as someone who isn’t afraid to handle multiple tasks – all while she gains experience in return.
During her time at UWG, Covera participated in two different study abroad programs, primarily studying in France. Before taking any French courses, she didn’t know about French culture other than the pop culture obsession of the Eiffel Tower. What really inspired her was her friends from high school who had positive experiences with French classes.
“When I got in there, it was kind of like a switch flipped,” Covera said. “As I continued [French courses], it got more intricate and harder, and we were learning more about different parts of the world that spoke French. It just propelled my interest more and more.”
Her first study abroad experience in France was deemed as a “culture shock,” as she didn’t have many French skills at the time. As she grew to learn more about French culture, she turned her fear into inspiration to adapt to a new environment, which would later make her second study abroad experience more approachable and eventful. Some of the most memorable things that happened during her study abroad journey was visiting the city of Strasbourg, exploring Paris and staying with a host family.
Adding onto her resume, Covera completed a French teacher education internship and served as a student research assistant, as well as serving as a peer mentor in the French program. Some of her tasks included teaching students about the foundations of French grammar and hosting workshops, while her student teaching internship focused on French literature and connecting with students. Out of these experiences, Covera noted that she viewed her work tasks as a learning opportunity.
“Even though I was using a lower level of French that I would normally use, I was still learning a lot because I was simply speaking,” she said. “It showed me the importance of the human element in a foreign language classroom.”
Evidently, Covera used her student research experience to support her presentation at Scholars’ Day – an achievement that she is deeply proud of. Her research was based on the numeric measures of new students and older students learning French literature, as well as the importance of peer mentoring first- and second- year students in foreign language programs.
“It was a really great learning experience for me, because I got to have some teaching experience and have students work with each other,” Covera said. “It’s all about connecting students the things around them and what you’re learning.”
Dr. Claire Ezekiel, UWG lecturer of French, also spoke highly of Covera.
“Throughout her time at UWG, Kailey has set herself apart in the areas of academic achievement, leadership and research. She saw early on the potential of using French in her future career and has worked diligently since to not only take advantage of opportunities for language learning in various contexts but to expand these studies through experiential learning.”
In terms of her future, Covera has been selected as an intern for the Disney College Program, a highly selective internship program for college students and recent graduates that prepares them for the real world by adapting their work skills to various tasks and building personal development. After her time in the program, she hopes to get a French teaching position for the 2026-2027 school year and has plans to be certified in teaching English-based classes, such as English language arts.
“If I’m not able to do French, I can still stay in the same vein with grammar, literature and similar areas,” she concluded.