Teacher introduces her students to France; awards flow
Published: September 24, 2005
“Bonjour! Madame Hagedorn,” students call when they see their teacher walking briskly toward her classroom.
Mimi Hagedorn of Cold Spring has been a French teacher at Bishop Brossart High School in Alexandria for 24 years. She is a vivacious, energetic person whose panache brings the language and culture of France alive in the classroom, and then in real life through a student exchange program she established in 1997.
Hagedorn has accompanied more than 200 Kentucky students on the exchanges with the Lycée Charles DeGaulle in the bustling city of Dijon in the Burgundy region of France.
“Most of the students have really taken well to the experience of both hosting and living with a French family,” Hagedorn said. “This takes courage and determination on their part, and I have been gratified that so many are open to the experience.”
After 9/11, the teachers debated whether to travel and wondered if there would be problems. They decided not to cancel. “It really has turned out to be a testament to human relations,” she said.
In July, the American Association of Teachers of French honored Hagedorn at the International Congrès of French Teachers in Quebec with the Intercultural Student Experiences award. She was nominated by Maureen Motsinger, president of the Kentucky chapter of the association, for organizing exchanges between Bishop Brossart and other high schools, including Campbell County, Villa Madonna Academy, Harrison County, Grant County, Louisville Male and Atherton High School in Louisville.
Hagedorn was also recognized for her leadership as a past president of the Kentucky chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. Along with a plaque, she received $1,000.
Adding to Hagedorn’s honors, she learned last week that she has been selected as the 2005 recipient of the Kentucky World Language Association’s Outstanding High School Teacher award. She will receive it today at the group’s annual conference luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville.
“My hope is that exchanges continue, because it really is the best way for American students to learn a second language and to meet people from another culture on a personal level,” she said. “Stereotypes break apart when this happens and friends are made.”
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: