LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dr. Laje Gashi was nominated anonymously. 

Dr. Gashi started the French program at High Tech High School (HTHS) over 30 years ago. Throughout her years of teaching, she has shown her students her love for the French language. She has empowered and inspired students to immerse themselves in the language by engaging them, connecting with them, and learning alongside them to improve their skills and fluency. Additionally, she is a big believer in exploring French and other countries outside of the classroom, such as traveling to field trips, being the advisor for the French Club, FHS, and international trips to help students learn about the culture, history, art, and big picture of France, and other countries that include Francophone ones.

In addition, Dr. Gashi encourages students who want to learn more about France, such as its language, beauty, history, and culture, to join the French Club to gain more opportunities; highly motivated students receive an invitation to the French Honor Society, where students can take action to develop their leadership skills and show the beauty of the French language to the school. Dr. Gashi is always dedicated to helping her students reach high fluency through motivation and active recall. She is also always exploring new, innovative ways to keep students engaged and show how French is a beautiful language by exploring accessible technology that makes French easier to learn and finding opportunities for students that can benefit them for their future, such as contests that display skill, communication, and creativity in the French language. 

"Overall, Dr. Gashi is very well deserving of this award for her hard effort and dedication in showing how French is a beautiful language, encourages her students to appreciate it and reach full fluency by putting the work into what their goals want to be, and explains how art, history, landmarks, language, and culture build the big picture of France by helping highly motivated students and others to explore beyond her French class," said the nominator.