ALUMNI PROFILE
French Connections and Roman Roads
MEET 2010 ALUMNI
DANIEL & LYDIA FOUCACHON
Elizabeth Alison Photo by Christine Cohen
WITHIN DAYS OF ARRIVING at New Saint Andrews , Daniel Foucachon ( BA , 2010 ) earned the title of school chronicler . You couldn ’ t miss him — the grinning Frenchman sneaking out his recording device and capturing vignettes of life in class , around campus , on the rugby fields , and in coffee shops . We rolled our eyes . Then asked for a copy .
But recording was more than just a hobby . As appreciation and demand for his skills grew , Daniel bought a better camera and took on a few gigs to pay for it . He started recording the worship services at Christ Church and helped launch CanonWired , a media ministry of Canon Press . In three short months , he ’ d made enough to purchase a second camera .
One subject in particular caught his eye : a blonde-haired , blue-eyed fellow classmate named Lydia ( B . A . 2009 ). Homeschooled from Kindergarten through twelfth grade , Lydia had left New England and come to NSA to meet other Christians and further her study of the classics . The hours spent reading in the library , prepping for exams , and studying in coffee-shops together paid off . Daniel and Lydia were married by the end of their junior year .
Daniel realized he could combine his two loves : recording and the Moscow community .
NSA left a lasting impact on the couple , from the theological foundation of Lordship to the practical tools of Rhetoric and the understanding of History as an inheritance , a way to find your people . And Daniel did indeed find his people , both at the college and in the community . In fact , NSA ’ s unique practice of small-group recitations — meeting once a week in the professors ’ homes — later became an inspiration for his own business .
Lydia ’ s response was similar : “ I love the memory of coming back to school sophomore year , and finding that I now had a class full of friends that felt like family .” Whether it was stargazing on the roof of the NSA building after-hours ( an activity that ’ s now forbidden ), laughing to tears at ridiculous declamations , or late-night Natural History quiz prep , her memories are full of time spent with friends . They had found their people , and they were ready to put down roots .
But staying in Moscow isn ’ t always possible financially , and as senior year wound down , Daniel realized that if they wanted to make Moscow their home , he would need steadier work than the occasional recording job . He needed a career .
Shortly after graduating in 2010 , Daniel and Lydia took a trip to France to introduce Daniel ’ s extended family to their
6 THE COMMONS