The West Virginia Governor’s Honors Academy (GHA) is host to 5 students and a teacher from the Moscow area.  The Russian teacher, Nadia Kochareva  is teaching classes titled “Rushin’ Through History.  The class is offered both as an Intensive Course and as a Broad Based Course to West Virginia  students.  The Russian students:  Vera Babenko, Jouri Bourtsev,  Dmiti Jiovotnev, Evgeny Platonov and Edouard Potchivaline are enrolled in a wide variety of courses including:  “Wheel-Through Designs and Tiles with Maiolica, Espersanto, and World Music.

To get to Marshall University, the host of GHA, the students flew from Moscow to Dulles Airport near Washington, DC (11 hours), traveled to Dave McChesney’s house in Sutton, WV (6 hours), where they spent a short night and  then on to Huntington, WV (2 hours). The trip for Jouri Bourtsev is his 3rd. He participated in the “Russia School in the Hills” during 1999 and 2000.  For Foundation Director, Dave McChesney, it has been an extraordinary privilege to be able to watch some of our exchange students develop from an awkward 6thgrader to poised senior. 

The students have quickly adjusted to their new surroundings. In a few weeks, it is hoped that we can share some of the students’ views about their GHA experience.