Spotlight on Paris

There are nearly 1,000 alumni of the Lycée Français de New York living in Europe. Class of 2000 alumnae Laura Gerchik is a member of this community. But for her, the status of community member still leaves her wanting more. She wants to be an active member of the Lycée community. Laura remembers with pride the unique and rigorous education she received; she remembers the old buildings on 72nd, 95th and 93rd Streets; and of course she remembers her classmates, her friends, the people with whom she shared secrets and accomplishments, and ultimately weaved what are now her memories of the Lycée. Laura wants to share these memories, and make new ones, by reconnecting with old classmates and with the Lycée.

Laura’s desires to bring together alumni who live in Europe and to develop a stronger link to the Lycée are much closer to becoming a reality than they were just over a year ago. The overwhelming success of the Lycée’s 75th Anniversary Launch party in Paris has a lot to do with this. Lycée leadership was very impressed that 250 alumni and alumni parents had RSVPed to the October 7th party in Paris, but when more than 450 people showed up, the Lycée realized that more frequent and meaningful interactions with Europe were a necessity. Since the Paris launch, the Lycée has been working to develop alumni programming that shines a brighter light on Europe and establishes more international linkages. Laura Gerchik has made it very clear to the Lycée that she wants to be involved in this process. In the interview below, Laura had much to say about her life as a Lycée alumnae and how life for her has changed since the Paris event.

What have you been up to since you graduated from the Lycée?

After obtaining a diploma in Integrated Marketing and Communications, I was recruited by the Invest in France Agency (l’Agence Française pour les Investissements Internationaux), a French governmental organization focused on insuring the representation of France abroad and attracting foreign direct investment into France. I worked alongside Fortune 500 companies to establish or develop their activities in France, and was fortunate enough to work directly with Clara Gaymard and Christine Lagarde on punctual missions. After over three years spent working in NY, I chose to pursue a career in France, as a commercial real estate investment broker. I now work with European institutional funds and have sold over € 200 M of office properties in France. I continue to pursue my interest for travelling, and even started a little side business a year ago selling homemade cupcakes.

Was it always your intention to move to Europe after the Lycée or was it a case of happenstance?

I always had a deeply rooted affinity for Europe –but I think I truly became a Europhile during my year studying abroad at the University de Paris IX Dauphine. I grew up considering myself one of the more “American” students at the Lycée, but discovered during University that I was a lot more European than I let on! I am thrilled to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds: growing up in NY and now living in Paris. I think nobody can say it better then Gertrude Stein: America is my country and Paris is my hometown… Still, I miss the Big Apple and may make a comeback someday!

Are there many other Lycée alumni with whom you are in contact in Europe? If so, how often do you see one another? Are you also in contact with alumni who are in the United States?

One amazing thing you walk away with from the LFNY is lifelong friendships. Most Lycée students have very international backgrounds, and have traveled and lived abroad extensively, it’s no surprise that alums now live all over the world, and luckily for me quite a few, including some of my best friends, are now in Paris, London, Europe in general, and some in NY still.

There is something special about us…no matter how long it’s been since we’ve spoken or seen each other, it still feels like just yesterday we were all walking the halls of 72nd, 95th or 93rd… In fact when I get nostalgic I sometimes look at old yearbooks and think how incredible it is to still know people I posed with for a school photo in douzième.

We first met each other at the 75th Anniversary party at Interalliée in Paris. What was your impression of the event?

The event couldn’t have started any better as I was welcomed by a smiling Mme. Maman, whom I was convinced would never recognize me after over ten years… I knew I was wrong the moment she greeted me with “Bonjour Mlle. Gerchik!”… I was instantly transported to my childhood and I think I may even have had a brief moment of wondering if my uniform was ok and my shirt tucked in properly!

It was wonderful seeing so many generations of people who had attended the Lycée and how many of us were living in Europe. I was amazed to learn that people had made the trip over to Paris from so many destinations, some from NY even. The event brought me together with classmates I hadn’t seen in ages, and gave me a strong desire to create an active LFNY network in Europe.

Since the party, have you been in touch with anyone you met or reconnected with at Interalliée?

It was great seeing some fellow students from my class year. I learned that one even lived about 100 meters from my place and we had never run into each other in my 4 years of living in Paris! The event inspired us to get together again, and we organized a very informal gathering shortly after. It’s always amazing to see how far we’ve all come since graduating from Lycée close to 11 years ago!

You have mentioned to me that you are very enthusiastic about being involved in Lycée alumni relations. How would like to work with the Lycée on this?

I will always look back on my years at the Lycée as some of the best of my life, filled with unforgettable moments. I am very enthusiastic indeed about growing alumni relations in Europe and forging an active group of Alumni interested in keeping in touch and getting together. I recently founded an Alumni group for my Alma Mater in Paris and though it’s a lot of work to get things up and running, the rewarding feeling you get from creating a true sense of community is priceless. My desire to get involved is a small way for me to give back to a school which has given me so much.

Did you know that there is a new fonds de dotation created to specifically to allow LFNY community members in France to support the Lycée and the donation can be claimed on their income tax? It is called The French Friends of the Lycée. What do you think of philanthropy?

I am happy to hear that the Lycée is organizing its efforts in Europe in order to allow people to participate and be more implicated in the school’s future. The Lycée has come a long way since my time there, with a new facility, a new focus on extracurricular activities, and sportsmanship. I am happy to see that the school has made the improvements which my generation fought for, and am certain it is largely due to the generosity of parents and alumni alike. The Lycée today has evolved in so many ways and has truly been brought into the 21st century. I believe that in order for the school to continue to thrive, be on the cutting edge of academics, and continuously improve in its ranking, it will need all the support it can get from people who want the institution to grow and excel.

> Back