Medals and trophies in hand, French students blasted “We Are The Champions” as they posed for a celebratory photo. With their dominant victory at the 2025 Texas French Symposium, the team had just secured a three-peat—the first in school history.
On the weekend of April 4-5, hundreds of students from 30 schools across the state gathered at Grand Oaks High School for the 61st annual Texas French Symposium. French students from beginner-level to fluent speakers competed in categories including sight reading, mixed media, drama group and baccalaureat (French quiz bowl).
Judges, mostly volunteer French teachers and parents, evaluated the students in each category. The best competitors moved on to the semifinals, followed by the finals, and the top six were recognized at the awards ceremony on Saturday evening. The top 10 winners of all the students received sweepstakes awards.
Junior Bryanna Micu tied for second overall in the sweepstakes, achieving a top six finish in four of her five categories.
“There were a few mishaps along the way. We skipped a few lines in the preliminary round of drama group, but we just glazed over it and tried to save the scene,” Micu said. “In the final, we pulled it together and had a nearly flawless performance.”
To prepare, Micu used tried-and-true memorization techniques including handwriting her lines and reading them aloud before bed. She also took advantage of practice sessions with the three TFS sponsors – Martha Escobar, Elizabeth Willcutt and Shelley Stein.
The Symposium experience differed for senior Ryan Shen. As a fourth-year participant in TFS, he took a step back and relaxed, taking time to snap photos and explore the school.
“In past years, I was always rushing from this event to that event, but I only did two events this year,” Shen said. “Other people could use the awards more than I could now.”
Shen also enjoyed the cultural events that were hosted throughout the school, such as pétanque, a French game resembling bocce ball. Engaging in these activities gave him the opportunity to connect with friends from other schools.
Similarly, sophomore AJ Alagarsamy also enjoyed interacting with new people while cheering his teammates on.
“The one word that truly describes it is culture. We have such a strong program, such a winning program, and everyone’s really willing to help each other,” Alagarsamy said. “Madame Escobar, Madame Stein and Madame Willcutt were super kind and really propelled us into success.”
Willcutt, in addition to sponsoring Symposium, serves as the president of the executive board of TFS. The board begins preparation for the contest a year in advance, choosing a theme and coordinating with the host school’s facilities and administrative team. From there, Willcutt irons out details by communicating with participating teachers and relaying information to the board.
With growing numbers of participating students and schools, organization is always a challenge. This year in particular, she faced spotty internet and a tornado warning put in place on Saturday afternoon. Despite these issues, Willcutt always finds the experience rewarding.
“These kids run around all weekend long, frenetically practicing their poems, playing their violins and reciting their drama pieces. And then it’s done, right? There’s this calm before the awards ceremony, and then the energy builds, and the kids get louder and louder. It’s electric,” she said. “That to me is just so much joy and validation for a job well done.”
Willcutt’s involvement in the Symposium stretches over 30 years, starting as a competitor in high school. Her TFS experience inspired her to continue learning the language and eventually become a French teacher.
“When I taught at Duchesne, I took a team of six girls to TFS. One of the girls competed for four years, went on to double major in French and theology at Notre Dame, and then she came back this year to judge. And that is one of my favorite things about Texas French Symposium—the lasting impact it has on young people.”
