Gaudet Middle School eighth grader Dana McKenzie recently took home top honors in "Le Grand Concours," a national contest for French students. Dana said hard work and the support of her family and #MiddletownRI teachers helped make it all possible.
MORE THAN LANGUAGE
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (JUNE 5, 2025) – For Dana McKenzie, French at Gaudet Middle School is more than just another class on her schedule.
The eighth grader at the Aquidneck Avenue school said it’s a way to open up horizons and possibly a window into her future. Although she’s keeping her options open, Dana said she can definitely see using French and other foreign languages she’d like to learn as the foundation of her career when she gets out of school, possibly in law or a related field.
Whatever she decides to do, Dana is off to a pretty good start.
Recently, she was one of three students in Rhode Island named a Platinum Level 1 National Winner of the “Le Grand Concours” for her perfect score during the recent National French Contest test.
True to form, the mild mannered Dana downplayed her achievements and while applauding a number of her classmates who took home honors during the test.
“We have a pretty good class and it’s a lot of fun,” Dana said during a break one recent afternoon. “(French Teacher) Mr. (Daniel) Kerloch makes it really interesting and it’s not just about speaking French, but reading it, learning the culture, the way of life and I think everyone in this class did really well on the test. It made me proud to be apart of it.”
Thinking back to the first day of class in September, Kerloch said he knew there was something special about Dana and her French skills.
Always willing to volunteer an answer to a question, Kerloch said she’s just as ready to stand back and let others spread their wings and help if they need it.
Kerloch said with each of his classes, he works hard to provide as in depth an experience as possible with French instead of rote memorization and drills. The walls of his classroom are decorated with student projects from the year, a mural of a cafe scene on a Paris street and other inspirational items.
“I want the students to have fun in here and to be engaged,” Kerloch said. “Learning French is about a lot more than just knowing how to say ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye.’ It’s about learning beyond what happens in the classroom and maybe inspiring students to see what’s beyond Middletown.”
As part of his classroom work, Kerloch encourages students to consider taking The National French Contest. An intensive 70-question exam, a number of Kerloch’s students have scored well in the past.
Taken on the computer, Kerloch said Dana learned quickly of her perfect score, which came after quite a bit of hard work.
“I put a lot into this,” Dana said, smiling. “I did every practice test I could find and reviewed all the study materials. There were a lot of exams going on then and it seemed for awhile there that all I was doing was studying.”
Kerloch agreed, saying there was no way to fake it and make it with The National French Contest.
He said when he first brought up the idea of students taking a shot at the Contest, most dismissed it, saying it would be too difficult. But the more they worked at it, he said the more they realized they knew and had a chance at doing well.
Other National Level 1 Winners from Gaudet included:
- Gold: Larin Alghfari
- Silver: Mirian Marina Gomez Alvizures, Celestine Churchill, Juan Lobaton, Ella Robson and Eastlyn Schneider
- Bronze: Abigail Parsley, Caroline Parsley and Jasmine Santos
“This is test you can’t just show up for,” Kerloch said. “If you don’t study, it’s very hard to do well. I’m impressed with the number of students who were recognized. It’s clear they all worked.”
Dana said there was much to like about Kerloch and his teaching style, whether it was the variety of the lessons and how he keeps students engaged. At the same time, she was impressed with how he effectively showed Spanish speakers the similarities — and differences — between their native language and French.
“He makes it fun and interesting,” Dana said. “This is definitely my favorite class right now and I plan on taking more French when I get to the (Middletown) High School.”
Asked if she had anyone she wanted to thank, Dana mentioned her parents Kyiesha Williams and Isaac McKenzie first along with her sister Melania and brother Jayden first. She also credited Kerloch and the other teachers at Gaudet and her classmates too.
“This year has been a lot of fun and I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” Dana said. “I like living here because everyone knows each other. A lot of my good friends I’ve known since elementary school.”
Dana said she first got inspired to take French from Melania when she was a student, asking her questions and trying to understand how a new language worked. In addition to English and French, Dana said she speaks Jamaican Creole, where she was born.
“The older I get, the more I realize how different languages bring us together,” Dana said. “My mom and I were shopping one time (at Old Navy on Connell Highway in Newport) and this man heard my mom’s accent and thought she was French and I ended up helping him. That was a pretty cool experience, using what I learned (in class).”
Moving forward, Dana said she couldn’t wait for other similar experiences as she got older.
“I take what I’m learning in class seriously,” Dana said. “This kind of thing is a lot of fun and who knows where it may take me.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Dana
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