Monsieur Bracken

Hi, I'm Zach Bracken. Welcome to the website of my annual class competition: The Goeller Cup Playoffs! I was born and raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania where I lived for the first 22 years of my life! I graduated from Altoona Area High School then attended Penn State University where I earned my bachelor's degree in World Languages Education, with a focus in French. In 2016, I studied abroad in Montpellier, France, through collaboration with Penn State, the Unviersity of Minnesota, and Université Paul Valéry/Montpellier-III. The summer following my study abroad I did a "Maymester" in Jönköping, Sweden where I worked primarily with students who were English Language Learners and often refugees living in Sweden. I also worked with the French teacher. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in all different grade levels for my K-12 certification. I taught elementary world language during my sophomore year during an after school program with State College Area School District (SCASD). During my study abroad, I interned at a middle school in France with English teachers and worked in Sweden with students from ages 10-19. During the 2016-17 school year, I completed my student teaching requirements at Mount Nittany Middle School and State College Area High School, working with 7th, 8th, and primarily 9th grade students.

Following the completion of my undergraduate studies, I accepted my first teaching position at Millbrook High School in Frederick County, Virginia. There, I was the only French teacher for levels I-IV, adding a fifth/AP course during my second year for one student who took French I in 8th grade. At Millbrook, I was also the theatre/drama club advisor and directed numerous shows and musicals. I also advised GSA and forensics while serving as a building leader to our Education Association during my final two years. 

After 5 years at Millrbook, I relocated to Las Vegas, NV, where I accepted a teaching position to bring French to Las Vegas High School. While French was offered the year before I started at Millbrook in 2022, the teacher that year was only around for a few months. In my time at LVHS, I have expanded the French program to a three-year track, with the third year now offered through a dual credit program with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, allowing for students to earn college credit in high school. During my second year at Vegas, I was the Student Council advisor. I have been a building leader for the Education Association since 2024-25.

In 2024, I was accepted into an accelerated grad school program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to earn a Master's degree in English as a Second Langauge. I graduated from UNLV in December of 2025, having completed my coursework by August of 2025. I pursued this degree to expand and grow my teaching knowledge and skills as a second language instructor, since ESL and French have similar concepts!