Jane Glenn, CHS math teacher, taught David Freese, World Series MVP, at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri. She sat down to talk about him with Globe reporter Peter Baugh, on her experience teaching Freese.

What year of high school was David Freese in when you taught him?
David was my student his junior year in algebra two. Then, his senior year, he was a cadet teacher. This means that when I was teaching a class he would run errands for me, or grade papers, or help students. I saw him once a day for two full years.

Did you consider yourself to have a close relationship with him when he was in high school?
Yes. Sometimes it’s hard to really connect with kids, but when they chose to be your cadet, it gives a teacher a special relationship where they are taking on some responsibility, and you can see them grow as a person. The teacher becomes a person the student feels they can touch base with if there’s something wrong. If they forget something, I’d be the one to supply extra pens, paper, and whatever else they may need.

Was David Freese a good student?
He was. He was in algebra two, which was not the honors course, but he probably could have made it in honors if he had decided to. As a high school student he wasn’t really interested in being a book worm, but he did very well.

What were his best qualities as a student?
He didn’t really let anything get him down, which is a trait he carried to his baseball career.

Freese, who is looking to become the every day third baseman (above)  for the Cardinals in 2012, was taught by Jane Glenn his Junior Year of High School. (Photo by Peter Baugh)

Did he struggle with anything in your classes?
Not really in math. I think in high school we didn’t challenge him enough. He could have been in the honors track. Sometimes high school is just a growing up period. He wasn’t striving to be the star student, but later on he decided that baseball was his goal, reached for it and got it.

Is he a good role model for students here at Clayton?
Yes, because I know he is a good person at heart. You can talk about the DUIs (Freese has had two DUIs, the latest in December of 2009) and that is a part of growing up that a lot of people have gone through. He made mistakes. We all have, but he can show you where hard work can get you and what choosing a goal and sticking with it can get.

What were your emotions watching him throughout the postseason?
I was pinching myself saying, “Is this really the kid that I knew?” Its just hard to believe he got that far and was so excited.

What should students take from him in his journey with sports?
Stay with it and conquer. He was in the minor leagues, and how many years has it taken him? He is 29. He has had lots of injuries; many would have given up. He could have said, “I’ve worked too hard; I want to do something else.” He could have chosen a different career, but he stuck with his dream.

Photo by Peter Baugh