When Nicole Pomfret walked into her classroom as a new teacher, it felt familiar in more ways than one. She had once been a student in the same school. Later, she worked there as a secretary. Now, she teaches there, with her own children just down the hall. That sense of coming full circle is at the heart of her experience in the French as a Second Language Multi-Session program.
Nicole did not take a straight path into teaching. After high school, she chose to study criminology, keeping education in the back of her mind. Life moved forward. She started a family and built a career in the office with her local school board but the idea of teaching never quite left. “I still had people ask me, why aren’t you teaching? You speak French,” she said.
For years, the timing never felt right. A traditional full-time program did not fit alongside work and family. Then she learned about the French as a Second Language Multi-Session program at Queen’s, which offered a way to study while continuing to work. “I couldn’t have come up with a better program to achieve my dream,” she said.
The program is intensive. Summers are spent in Kingston, and the school year blends coursework on weekends with real classroom experience. Nicole moved quickly from working in a high school office to leading her own Grade 3 class. “It was pretty wild,” she said. “But it felt familiar.”
That mix of learning and doing became one of the most valuable parts of the experience. After a week in the classroom, she would return to campus, ready to reflect, ask questions, and try again. “There’s no better way to really see the reality,” she said. “You try things right away.”
Her cohort played a big role in making that possible. The group included recent graduates, mid-career professionals, and parents. Many were balancing similar responsibilities, which helped build strong connections early on. “We were vulnerable right from the start,” she said. “We weren’t afraid to share how we were really feeling.” Those connections have lasted beyond graduation. The group still shares resources, ideas, and encouragement. “Everyone’s still so collaborative,” she said.
As a mother of two, Nicole found motivation in showing her children what it looks like to pursue a goal. Her daughters helped set up her classroom and followed her progress closely. “Seeing their mom advance in her career was what kept me going,” she said.
Balancing everything was not always easy, especially during time away from home. What helped was focus and perspective. “You kind of know what needs your energy,” she said. “Just breaking it into chunks and focusing on what you need to do that day.”
Now, just months after graduating, Nicole is exactly where she hoped to be. Teaching. Learning. And still connected to the community that supported her along the way.