Fulbright scholar to teach English in Russia

Before coming to Wheaton, Michael Freese '08 had never studied a modern language—only Latin—but he decided to give Russian a try at the encouragement of the department head, Françoise Rosset. He soon fell in love with all things Russian.

Now a Russian Studies major, Freese will head to Russia later this year to teach English as a 2008 Fulbright Scholar.

A Wheaton Presidential Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa, Freese studied in St. Petersburg, Russia, during his junior year with the support of a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship. Through this experience he came to appreciate the importance of "living the language," he wrote in his Fulbright application. "Daily, I realized the impact that native speakers had upon my language acquisition, particularly in the areas of idioms, proverbs and slang. Having lived with a wonderful Russian family and established friendships, I sincerely relish the opportunity to share ‘my' English with Russian students."

During his Fulbright year, the Newport, Maine, resident also plans to research the role of the Russian Orthodox church in contemporary Russian society, particularly in relation to young people. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, he says, there has been a resurgence of interest in traditional Russian culture and faith.

Freese has a keen interest in Russian youth culture and hopes to further his relationships with young Russians by volunteering in youth recreational sports. He expects to be assigned to a rural area and is eager to get to know "the real Russia" outside of urban centers. "I am hoping to immerse myself in the community and get to know the youth scene on a personal level," he says.

Also deeply interested in politics, Freese has taken many courses related to Russian and American politics and history. He is looking forward to leading discussions with Russian students about his own country's society, history, politics and culture.

At Wheaton, Freese is vice president of the Russian Club and serves as a peer tutor in the language and as an informal mentor to freshmen in many disciplines. In the summer of 2006, he interned at the Russian American Cultural Center in Boston, where he researched the diaries of Louisa Catherine Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, who was the first American minister to Russia. That same summer, he participated in the Children of Chernobyl Project, which provides free medical services in the U.S. to children from Ukraine and Belarus. Freese acted as a translator to one boy's American hosts and also accompanied him to his dental care visits.