In 2026, English Language Programs proudly joins the nation in Freedom 250—Celebrating the Triumph of the American Spirit—as we mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Leading up to this historic milestone, we are spotlighting the impactful work our participants and alumni contribute, sharing America with the world and bringing global experiences back home.
In January, we turn to the Midwest Great Lakes, a region shaped by its vast lakes, flat plains, rolling hills, agriculture, steel industry, and the hardworking, down‑to‑earth spirit of its people. From Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, alumni have carried the values and perspectives of this unique region into classrooms and communities worldwide. Their efforts strengthen English language education abroad while enriching local communities across the Midwest. Together, their stories show how regional identity and global engagement reinforce U.S. leadership, influence, and educational excellence.
Illinois Alumni
David Malatesta – As a decades‑long high school teacher in Skokie, Illinois, David Malatesta, an English Language Specialist, has seen how working in classrooms around the world deepens his understanding of the students he serves at home. Since his first project in Turkiye in 2006, he has led teacher‑training camps across Brazil, Cyprus, Jordan, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Saudi Arabia, often weaving his background as a professional musician into sessions that connect jazz improvisation with language learning. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Malatesta’s work reflects how Illinois educators strengthen global ties while enriching their own communities.
Rebecca Miller – Coming from the town of Carlinville, Illinois—known for its historic architecture and deep community roots—Rebecca L. Miller has long been drawn to the stories places hold. As an English Language Specialist, she brought her archaeologist’s perspective to a project with the Royal Commission of AlUla in Saudi Arabia, helping cultural heritage and conservation professionals strengthen English communication skills through virtual assessment and a 30‑day intensive program. Rebecca’s work shows how Illinois educators contribute to international collaboration while deepening understanding of cultural preservation at home and abroad.
Indiana Alumni
Brandon Sherman – Rooted in Indianapolis’s strong tradition of teacher leadership, Brandon Sherman, an English Language Specialist and former president of INTESOL, brings a deep commitment to educator development shaped by his work at Indiana University Indianapolis. He expanded that commitment through his 2023 Specialist project with Russian educators, designing a twelve‑week coaching program that blended online modules with 125 asynchronous videos to introduce practical frameworks for instructional coaching. By tailoring sessions to teachers’ needs and facilitating small‑group conversations, he helped build a collaborative professional community across Russia. Sherman’s work highlights how Indiana educators strengthen global partnerships while advancing innovative teaching and learning at home.
Frederick Dunn – As a Lecturer at Purdue University in West Lafayette—home to one of the nation’s leading engineering hubs—and a PhD student in Engineering Education, Frederick Dunn draws on Indiana’s strong STEM identity in his work as a Virtual English Language Educator. He brought that expertise to his project at the Technological University of the Mixteca in Mexico, helping undergraduate and graduate students in semiconductor‑related fields strengthen English and technical presentation skills essential for global engineering careers. By integrating authentic engineering tasks, such as circuit‑design activities using specialized vocabulary, he modeled approaches that Mexican educators can sustain long‑term. Through the lens of Freedom 250, Dunn’s work underscores how Indiana educators contribute to workforce development, academic mobility, and expanded opportunities for students preparing for the semiconductor industry.
Wisconsin Alumni
Susan Huss-Lederman – From Fort Atkinson, a Wisconsin community known for its strong educational traditions, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Professor Emerita Susan Huss‑Lederman brings decades of teaching and teacher‑training experience to her work as an English Language Specialist and soon‑to‑be Fellow in Panama. She has contributed to projects in Peru and Ecuador, led the 2022 Specialist Master Class on English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and is a WITESOL leader and frequent presenter. A recipient of the 2023 English Language Specialist Alumni Impact Award, she continues to support educators across the Andes and at home in Wisconsin through virtual workshops and collaborative professional learning. Her work reflects how Wisconsin educators strengthen global connections while enriching teaching and learning locally.
Chelsea Olsen – From Marinette, a Lake Michigan community shaped by its maritime heritage, Chelsea Olsen, a certified K–12 Wisconsin educator and President‑Elect of WITESOL, brings eleven years of experience supporting multilingual learners across higher education, community programs, virtual EFL settings, and K–12 schools. In her work as a Virtual English Language Educator at the Centro Colombo Americano Bogotá, she led bi‑weekly College Horizons book clubs that blended reading skills with cultural exploration and facilitated themed English clubs for intermediate learners to support Colombia’s bilingualism goals. Now an English Language Fellow with the Fulbright Commission in Peru, she provides professional development and introduces new methodologies to strengthen English teaching nationwide. As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, Chelsea’s upcoming fellowship at ISICANA Salta in Argentina—beginning February 2026—continues her commitment to enhancing teacher competence, improving English proficiency, and fostering educational exchange between the United States and South America.
Ohio Alumni
Garry Fourman – With decades of professional experience across Ohio, Garry Fourman has built a career shaped by higher‑education administration and teaching German and ESL, all grounded in a deep commitment to global engagement. As an English Language Fellow in Fiji, he provided specialized English instruction and mentorship at Fiji National University, the country’s primary teacher‑training institution. There, he taught the compulsory English course and equipped future educators with tools to strengthen student engagement, critical thinking, and hands‑on learning—an essential contribution in a nation where nearly a quarter of the population is under age 15. His work in Fiji also centered on developing storytelling frameworks for teacher education and included a key collaboration with Khemendra Kumar, a faculty member at FNU, on community-based narrative projects. A former department chair at Columbus State Community College and a speaker of multiple languages, Fourman brings a global perspective to students and teachers throughout the state, strengthening Ohio’s role in international education. His work highlights how Ohio educators expand opportunity and strengthen educational partnerships across the Indo‑Pacific region.
Carol Lucas – For more than three decades, Carol Lucas has been deeply rooted in Ohio’s educational landscape, studying and working across the state. A pedagogy enthusiast known for her innovative approach to virtual, hybrid, and in‑person instruction, she first connected with English Language Programs at the 2018 Ohio TESOL conference—a moment that helped shape a second career centered on learner growth and cross‑cultural connection. After facilitating two Massive Open Online Courses on English for Career Development as a Virtual Educator in Brazil, she completed a 10‑month English Language Fellow project in Sri Lanka, supporting pre‑service teachers at the Peradeniya National College of Education as they strengthened their language and teaching skills. Now teaching and mentoring students at GOAL Digital Academy in Mansfield, she draws on her TESOL background and trauma‑informed practice to support learners across Ohio. Lucas’s journey shows how Ohio educators contribute to meaningful global engagement while enriching classrooms at home.
Michigan Alumni
Diane Larsen‑Freeman – From Ann Arbor, home to one of the nation’s most influential centers of linguistic research, Professor Emerita Diane Larsen‑Freeman has shaped the field of second language acquisition for decades. A world‑renowned scholar and author of more than a dozen books and over 100 articles and chapters, she brought her expertise to an English Language Specialist project in Cambodia, delivering a keynote, symposium presentation, and workshop at the 16th Annual CamTESOL Conference. She later led a national symposium in Vietnam on teaching grammar communicatively and contributed to China’s TESOL Master Class Webinar Series, sharing insights on grammar learning, teacher development, and Complex Dynamic Systems Theory. As Freedom 250 invites renewed reflection on American contributions abroad, her work exemplifies how Michigan educators advance global understanding through language education.
Deric McNish – From East Lansing, where Michigan State University anchors one of the Midwest’s most vibrant arts communities, Deric McNish spent more than a decade advancing drama‑based approaches to English language teaching. He taught drama‑infused English courses at Michigan State University’s English Language Center and the University of Michigan’s English Language Institute, and co‑authored Drama in the Language Classroom: What Every ESL Teacher Needs to Know (University of Michigan Press, 2023). As an English Language Specialist, he led Lights, Language, Action! in Thailand and completed two virtual projects with educators in Russia—Podcasting for Intercultural Connections and Language in Cultural Context: American Media in Performance. Now serving as Director of Undergraduate Research and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies at Michigan State University, McNish continues to champion innovative, learner‑centered teaching—work that stands out as Freedom 250 underscores the global reach of American educators.
