Aubrey Roché

Life After L&C

2025 Update

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I grew up in the Portland area, and I knew I wanted to stay relatively close to home for school, but I also knew I wanted to go to a private liberal arts college. I toured L&C twice and attended an admitted students day where I just knew it was the right fit academically, socially, and environmentally. I felt comfortable and engaged in the class I visited, and the current students were friendly and welcoming. Another big part of it was definitely the trees—the campus always felt so homey and so quintessentially Oregon. I loved it.

What have you been doing since graduation?

Shortly after graduating, I moved to France to teach English as part of the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). It ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me, even though I had spent much of my time at L&C working toward it. And that’s okay! I have been much happier working in the French-speaking community in Portland at different French immersion schools. My passion for education and my work in this field has put me on the path to pursue my master’s degree in teaching. I am very happy with where I have ended up, and look forward to where my studies take me next.

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for your job and graduate school?

My L&C education pushed me to strengthen my communication skills. As an English major, communication was the major part of my studies, but it went beyond conversing and writing. I had to grow comfortable speaking up in class contexts. I had to figure out which ways were best for speaking to different people and different groups. I had to become comfortable putting myself out there and making myself heard. I found that while I’ve been working this is one of the most important skills to have in a professional environment, and I am grateful to have left L&C with both the confidence and competence to be a better communicator.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at Lewis & Clark?

I feel like my answer here ties into a lot of different areas—communication, organization, and self knowledge. I became more mindful of how I interact with others after meeting so many people from so many different backgrounds. I learned to organize my time and my personal space effectively in order to get all of my work done while also prioritizing my well being. I came to understand myself better as a person—what my priorities are, who I want to surround myself with, and where I want to go next. Perhaps the fact that I couldn’t pick just one answer is a perfect example of the impact of the liberal arts.

How do you stay connected to Lewis & Clark as an alum?

I recently attended the Gender Studies Symposium keynote event in the spring, and I hope to make this an annual commitment. Being able to reconnect to academia and to L&C a couple of years after graduating made me realize how much I value my L&C education and how much I miss engaging with academia. It inspired me to make more of an effort to engage with academia and L&C in general, and also assured me that grad school is the right choice for me.

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

I loved English 450, the English senior seminar, the most. The theme of my class was Modernist short stories, taught by Professor of English Rishona Zimring. I took several classes with Rishona focused on British modernist literature, and they were always my favorites, but in the seminar we got to dive deeper than usual into the works of just three authors. I am very proud of the thesis I wrote on Katherine Mansfield, and it feels like one of my most notable accomplishments from my time at L&C. I found the idea development, research, and writing processes to be invigorating, even though at first they felt very daunting. Working on such a extensive, in-depth project, about something I was truly passionate about, ultimately made me a better thinker and a better writer.

Who was your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

My very first semester, I took one of my core classes with Associate Professor of French Molly Robinson. I later worked with her through The Mossy Log and took two upper level French classes with her. In class, she was always approachable and patient, and helped push me to be just a little better as a writer—because she knew I had it in me. Outside of class, Molly was consistently supportive, genuine, and willing to listen to whatever I needed to talk about. I was grateful to have her as a professor and an advisor.

Life at L&C

Credit: Nina JohnsonWhat’s your favorite class? How has it expanded your knowledge?

So far, my favorite class has been Major Figures: James Joyce with Professor of English Rishona Zimring. I have always loved the Modernist era of literature and was interested in reading Joyce’s Ulysses, so I figured that taking this class would be the perfect opportunity to explore both. Ulysses is definitely a challenging text to read, but discussing it in class alongside Rishona’s wealth of knowledge about it and Joyce made it understandable and enjoyable. I love being able to go so in-depth with one text.


Who is your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

I am always learning from my coeditors at The Mossy Log. I have learned so much about journalism ethics, design, editing, communication, and collaboration since joining the editorial board. Being able to work with such an amazing group of people has helped me grow as a person and a peer.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

Lewis & Clark seemed like the perfect place for me: a school serious about academics, a small but passionate community, and not too far from home. Plus, I love how the campus is full of trees!


How do you describe the liberal arts?

The liberal arts allow you to flourish in what you know best, while also helping you to explore new disciplines and take on challenges outside of your comfort zone.


Where do you find community on campus?

Attending school during the pandemic has made finding community difficult, but not impossible. I have a small group of friends I’m able to see often, which helps everything to feel a bit more normal. 


Which residence halls have you lived in? How would you describe the hall’s personality? What is/was the best thing about living on campus?

My first and sophomore years, I lived in Odell Hall. It is a calm, chill community where people are always friendly. My favorite parts about living in Odell are being so close to Templeton Campus Center and the large rooms with big windows. My favorite thing about living on campus is being able to spend time with the friends I’ve made in the dorms.

If you have studied or will study overseas while at Lewis & Clark, how did you choose your program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience so far?

I have applied to study abroad in Strasbourg, France. I chose a language-intensive program based on my experience studying French, and I chose Strasbourg due to the appeal of living and learning in a smaller community—just like L&C!

Did you choose to do all-remote learning or hybrid learning this academic year? How did you make your choice?

I chose all-remote learning for fall 2020 and moved on campus for hybrid learning in spring 2021. I initially made the choice to stay home and prioritize my safety during the first semester full of unknowns, but chose to move back to campus once I was able to see how successful L&C was at hybrid learning and working to keep students safe.

How did you decide on a major?

My whole life, I have loved to read and write. While I was thinking about different majors, I considered some other options, but I always came back to English. It just seemed to make sense.