ROYA MCARTHUR French Teacher, French Honor Society, French Club Advisor

Roya McArthur is the EHS resident French expert! She has taught at EHS since 2019 and currently helps students to master the language of love by teaching French I, II H, III, III H, IVAP, V, and VI. She also enthusiastically sponsors the French Honor Society and French Club. So how did Ms. McArthur become well-versed in the French language? Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, she grew up attending a French International School. Following her passion, she moved to Texas and attended the University of Texas where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering and a minor in French. At the University of Houston, she received her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Second Language Acquisition. When Ms. McArthur is not dazzling her students with French, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, and watching foreign movies. In summer 2023, Ms. McArthur will be chaperoning her students on a seven-day tour of France! Bon Voyage!

If you were not a teacher, what would you choose for a career?

A chef

If you could travel back in time, what period of history would you choose?

The roaring 20’s for its jazz and flappers.

What do you most respect about your colleagues?

Their dedication and care to a very noble profession.

What do you most respect about your students?

Their honesty, their care about their grades, and their willingness to work hard to improve them.

Read any good books recently? The Days of Abandonment By

Elena Ferrante, Pancakes in Paris by Craig Carlson.

What music do you enjoy listening to

A wide variety, anything that makes me want to get up and dance.

What is your favorite way to relax?

Doing my transcendental meditation on a daily basis, getting together with good friends and family.

Who is your hero (fiction or non-fiction) and why?

Gabriel Allon, a master art restorer and officer of Israeli intelligence from Daniel Silva’s books.

Tell us your life story in a sentence. I am still learning, and hopefully growing wiser.

If you could sponsor any club (whether an EHS student asks you to or not), what would you want to bring to the EHS campus?

A Zentangle club. (Fun Fact: A Zentangle is a miniature abstract work of art created by a collection of patterns.)

Which historical figure (past or present) would you hope to have a meal with, and what would you like to ask them during conversation? Mother Teresa, who gave her entire life to helping people for a good cause.