When Jean-Laurent Lareyre was paired with a Syracuse University student for an engineering class assignment in 2023, he had no idea where that connection would lead.

The project at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Strasbourg, France, sparked something unexpected: a passion for helping American students navigate life abroad. Since that initial pairing, Lareyre – who goes by JoJo – has become an invaluable guide and friend to more than sixty Syracuse University students studying in France.

What began as tutoring in physics and electrical engineering classes has evolved into something far richer. Lareyre now helps students explore Strasbourg and the surrounding Alsace region, introducing them to hidden gems and local experiences they might otherwise miss.

“They are curious and want to experience life in Strasbourg,” says Lareyre. “I love when they invite me along. I want them to discover every part of student life at INSA and in Strasbourg.”

Lareyre’s own international background makes him a natural cultural bridge. Originally from Mauritius in East Africa, he also lived in China as a child and now speaks Chinese, French-Creole, German, and English fluently.

“For me, it’s important to communicate with everyone,” he explains. “We’re all engineers. We have the same skills, so we relate to each other well.”

His adventures with Syracuse students and staff have included mountain hiking trips. He understands their desire to make the most of studying abroad—it mirrors his own journey.

“I wanted to go abroad. I didn’t see myself always staying in the same country,” Lareyre reflects. “My parents traveled a lot, and I want to be like them.”

“Jo Jo has been a tutor, mentor, and friend to years of Syracuse and ECS students studying abroad. He has been a wonderful role model – a high-achieving engineering student with an international perspective and a warm, engaging and fun personality. We’ve adopted him as fully  Syracuse,” says John Goodman, the director of Syracuse’s program in France.

Now balancing graduate studies at INSA with an engineering position at a pharmaceutical company in Strasbourg, Lareyre isn’t certain where his career will take him next. But he hopes the connections he’s made will come full circle.

“It would be so much fun to reconnect with students I met in Strasbourg when I’m in the United States,” he says. “Maybe someday they’ll be my guides.”