DIS Profile

Anyone who thinks Geography is only about pointing out countries, continents or oceans on a map should sit down for coffee with Lucile Perret. One quickly learns that geographic location is only the starting point, the launching pad for looking deep into the heart of humanity: what makes people tick, how societies grow and define themselves, and what shapes our lives as humans on a tiny planet whirling through the vast expanses of space.

The broad, social definition of geography, according to the teaching assistant at Churchill Way is a bit more complex, describing the term to mean the relationship between people and the territories they occupy, the worlds they inhabit, and how we are all shaped by the things around us that we know and love. “Seeing how people and communities are connected to the places they live in, the surroundings they call home, is fascinating to me,” she says. “The geography all around us really defines who we are, what we believe and how we see others in places not like ours.”

For starters, Lucile grew up on the outskirts of Grenoble in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, long considered to be the self-proclaimed capitale des Alpes. Tucked between the Drac and Isère rivers and replete with charming cafes, thriving universities and renowned museums, the city is arguably among the most scenic and beautiful places on Earth.

“Growing up there, I always did lots of things outdoors, surrounded by nature,” Lucile says. “We had a farm, with lovely animals, and lots of places where I could take long hikes and be alone to feel like a part of all the natural wonder.” From skiing foothills in the Alps in middle school to boating on the region’s crystal clear lakes and then climbing the mountains later on, Lucile developed a close bond with the world around her. “I knew it was a beautiful place and also that I never wanted to take that for granted.”

All of which led to studying Geography at The Université Grenoble Alpes, a leading center of research in the fields of geology, geophysics, Earth sciences and geography.

“I chose it in part because I love human society,” she says. “I could have done anthropology or sociology or other fields of human study, but the idea that people are shaped by the places they are from really attracted me. That connection informs how we feel about the larger world around us - issues like climate change, sustainable energy, conservation and what we can teach others about, preserving the geography we all share as humans.”

Describing the need to pass the message of caring on to others, “planting the seed,” as she puts it, Lucile mentions some of the programs at DIS and at Churchill specifically, like assemblies on precious resources such as food and water for the world. “What can we do as a society and for the kids? What can we teach them about protecting the environment they’ll grow up in?”

She laments the idea that societies that have developed in worlds of plenty - like the United States - can be spendthrifts with the plentiful resources at hand. Cultures with vast wide open spaces and lots of everything are shaped by that, by their geography, and it becomes a part of who they are. “I remember learning when I was young that at the rate we’re going, we could use two or three planets to keep up with everything, instead of just the one we have. Most countries are aware of what they use - oil, gas, water - and see that as the way their world has shaped them.” The idea of a plastic spoon, she says, is simply unfathomable when we think about its impact over time on the environment.

Raised in a family of teachers, Lucile followed studies in geography with a master’s degree in teaching - and then set out to study other places and cultures and learn more, traveling with a friend to Peru to visit some of the highest lakes in the world, meeting the people and viewing the Andes. “The mountains are wonderful - quite different from the Alps, but just as beautiful - and I fell in love with the people and the languages.”

Following two years of teaching kindergarten in France, she followed her husband to Dallas, which she finds equally unique - a different sort of world, all its own in a very special way. “I’ve never been into big cities, but Dallas isn’t quite what I expected,” she says. “Yes, there’s a big downtown with tall buildings, but everything else seems so spread out - the suburbs are almost rural in comparison to other big cities in Europe and around the world.” The United States, she says, seems built around cars and highways and driving long distances to get from one place to another. “And that freedom has come to define the way Americans - especially Texans - think and behave.”

Even though she loves the countryside back home, Lucile felt she would be at home here. “I wanted to learn about the people and meet the characters, see things like the Fort Worth Stockyards and discover a different kind of place.”

What are her favorite things about this new geography so far? “I love going to different rooftop restaurants and seeing the way the city spreads out,” she says. “But my favorite thing is going to dog parks and seeing them all run and play for hours - they create their own little places in time. We can be there for hours and meet people from all over.” Lucile describes her black German Shepherd’s harrowing 14-hour flight with her to Dallas as difficult, but “she’s now living her best life.” The dog’s name? Syrah - the nearly black grape variety that originates in southeastern France.

And what does Lucile find appealing about teaching at DIS? She mentions being French and working with an American teacher is certainly a good way to practice English. But there’s more. “I love working with the younger children. You help them to get to know the people and places and things around them - creating their own little connections with their own geography - and that is so rewarding. “In a way, teaching is an exact parallel to drawing the lines between cultures and the places they are from: we’re bringing everything into context so that they can build their own little identities.”

She sums up her relationship with geography - the study of people and the places they inhabit at a given place and time - this way: “We protect what we love and we love what we know.”

Lucile, DIS is glad to know you.