Portraits of Our Community: Cyn Koukos

As part of our ongoing series, "Oui" are the Lycée: Portraits of our Community, we are honored this week to spotlight Cyn Koukos, a beloved English teacher who has been a cornerstone of the Lycée Français de Chicago for the past 30 years. A proud Greek-American, Cyn joined the school in 1995—the year it opened—and has since devoted her career to teaching in the secondary school, primarily in middle school. Affectionately known as “Ms. K.” by her students, she often jokes that all of them are her children. Her warmth, dedication, and lasting impact on generations of students have shaped our community in countless ways. In recognition of her exceptional contributions to education, Cyn was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques by the French Ministry of Education in October 2022—a prestigious honor reflecting her passion for teaching and unwavering commitment to her students.

As she prepares to retire at the end of this school year, we celebrate her extraordinary legacy with deep gratitude and heartfelt admiration. We can never thank her enough for all she has brought to the Lycée over the years.

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Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in the Land of Lincoln to a family of four. I was the baby of the family and have an older brother Nick. I was raised in the Greek Orthodox church and always loved Easter since we celebrated two (American and Greek Easter, as most Greeks refer to them). We would go to my grandparents' house in Oak Park, roast a full lamb in the bar-b-que pit, and I'd spend the day stuffing my cheeks with feta, Greek olives, etc., while running around the table cracking everyone's red, hard-boiled eggs as part of the Greek tradition. Growing up, I'd "play school" in the basement of our home, so I guess it was always inside me to become a teacher. I loved reading about "Dick, Jane, and Sally" in our first and second grade readers.

Why was the LFC a good fit for you?

I am the one and only original American teacher who has been here since the school opened its doors. I am proud that I have helped students to love Shakespeare, to enjoy reading, and to participate in creative writing these past years with me. It was a good fit because for a long period of time I had tremendous academic freedom to engage my students in the college prep curriculum I had established back in the day.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise our readers.

I studied for many years Raqs sharqi (Mid-Eastern oriental dance more commonly known as belly dance). I guess it is in the blood.

Note: If you are interested in being featured in the "Oui" are the Lycée: Portraits of our Community series, please contact communications@lyceechicago.org.