Dr. Freeman Hrabowski is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Baltimore SmartCEO magazine. The inside story highlights UMBC’s physical and academic transformation since Hrabowski’s presidency, his devotion towards students and the institution, and his passion for learning… French!
“Freeman A. Hrabowski III is learning to speak French. He is reading Proust in French. He is texting with students, in French. During a recent interview with SmartCEO, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County president is practicing his tenses and describing his teacher, a doctoral student at UMBC, in French.” This doctoral student is our dear Landry Digeon (Cohort 15).
SmartCEO also interviewed Landry to know about his experience as Dr. Hrabowski’s French teacher. This is a excerpt of Landry’s response:
SmartCEO: What is it like to have Freeman Hrabowski as a student? Is it intimidating at all?
Digeon: Lessons with Dr. Hrabowski are a combination of entertainment and intense work. At first, I sure was intimidated by teaching the president of UMBC. But Dr. Hrabowski was very approachable and personable from the beginning. His enthusiasm and high spirit quickly made me feel comfortable. In our first lesson, we looked at French writer Victor Hugo’s poem “Demain dès l’Aube.” He instantaneously fell in love with it and learned it all in a couple of weeks. I am consistently impressed by Dr. Hrabowski’s progress. Trying to keep up with him is probably more intimidating than his position as a renowned university president.
To read the complete article, please visit SmartCEO’s website (link below).
Posted: May 4, 2015, 11:14 PM
