Before he was named MVP of the 2024 MLB World Series on Wednesday, Freddie Freeman honed his baseball skills as a student at El Modena High School in Orange.
Through his record-breaking success in the majors and impressive performance this October with the Dodgers, Freeman has made a point to help students who dream of going pro one day.
Fox 11 News reported that Freeman has served as not just inspiration for his community but as a means of support. In March, he donated half a million dollars to help build a new baseball clubhouse for his alma mater.
Orange Unified School District students said it’s been “surreal” to catch Freeman practicing his swing on campus during the offseason.
The Vanguards’ assistant baseball coach Jason Moeller recently told reporters from NBC 4 that Freeman was known for his positive attitude on and off the field.
“As a teacher, as a coach, all you ever want is for the kids you coach to turn into young men and portray themselves the right way, and Freddie has done that,” Moeller said.
Fans from Southern California and beyond joined Freeman and his teammates to celebrate their championship title in a victory parade through the streets of Los Angeles on Friday.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Students from across San Clemente united to promote living a drug-free lifestyle for the city’s annual Red Ribbon Parade and Walk.
- Students from Buena Park’s Beatty Middle School recently faced off in a Super Smash Bros.-themed esports tournament hosted by OCDE’s Tobacco-Use Prevention Education program.
- Orange County School of the Arts President and CEO Teren Shaffer received the Jeffrey Lawrence Award, the highest honor that can be awarded to administrators by the Arts Schools Network organization.
- Starting Nov. 8 on National STEAM Day, Orange County learners can launch their reading skills to new heights by joining the Race to Space Reading Challenge to explore new books and win prizes.
- About seven zero-emission electric school buses will transport students to and from school in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District as part of its new partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
- Laguna Beach High School and its surrounding community will soon be able to utilize a 45-meter pool, after its conceptual design was recently approved by the Laguna Beach Unified School District board.
- More than 370 Laguna Beach residents tested their dodgeball skills and raised money for their local public schools at the 13th annual dodgeball tournament hosted by SchoolPower.
- Food service professionals from 35 California school districts joined local farmers to promote healthier school lunches at the Farm-to-School summit hosted in San Juan Capistrano.
- With the college application deadline fast approaching, EdSource has created a guide to help high school seniors navigate California’s public university systems with ease.
- In order to strengthen artificial intelligence pathways in community colleges and universities, Gov. Newsom announced a statewide collaboration with software company Nvidia.
- Cal State Fullerton’s Nicolas and Lee Begovich Gallery will reopen later this month as part of the university’s visual arts modernization project, which features two new buildings with spaces for classroom instruction.
- From Dana Point Harbor to Orange County School of the Arts, students and families enjoyed the spooky festivities at Halloween celebrations throughout the county Thursday.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.