Kasey Lund Walker ’09 and Jeremy Walker ’07, ’12 grew up in Bethlehem. Both attended East Hills Middle School and Freedom High School, and both came to Moravian College, where they shared academic interests. Kasey majored in accounting and minored in management and economics; Jeremy majored in management and minored in accounting and then earned an MBA at Moravian in general administration. Those paths ultimately led them to Paris together.
In 2016, Kasey was working in the Philadelphia office of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)—one of the world’s largest professional-services firms—when PwC transferred her to its Paris office, where she is an audit senior manager. So the couple, who married in 2010, moved to France.
Once in Paris, Jeremy, who had been a controller for the Weston Group in Easton, Pennsylvania, reinvented his work life. Building off of eight years as an assistant coach with the Greyhounds men’s basketball team, he cofounded Sports Journeys International, where he plans and manages international tours for US university sports teams. Jeremy also brings his coaching and people skills to his part-time position with Le Bus Anglais, teaching English to students from age 12 through adult. In addition, he serves as finance manager and systems and administration assistant in Le Bus Anglais’s back office.
The Walkers love living in Paris—the relaxed and balanced lifestyle, the easy access to other countries, and, of course, the food. “We have a much different world perspective that would not have been possible if we had stayed in the United States,” says Jeremy. They’ve learned to slow down and to understand when something needs immediate attention or can wait, and as they continue to engage more fully in the community, they see that the French are not at all deserving of their reputation for rudeness.
“The best way to grow as a person and a professional is to experience an uncomfortable situation—immerse yourself in something different and learn how to adapt,” says Kasey. “Living and working in a foreign language has certainly been a challenge. For example, when we go grocery shopping, we have to prepare what we are going to say in French to the butcher to make sure we get the right amount and cut of meat to make dinner. But kindness and making an effort transcends language barriers, and with time, our French continues to improve.”
As the Walkers seek greater understanding of their Parisian community, so too their friends show interest in American culture. “Just as we understand fully that where you were born does not define who you are, our neighbors and associates here see that not all Americans fit into stereotypes,” says Jeremy. “Our close friends have learned about our love of American Thanksgiving, throwing parties, and how delicious crab fries are!”