Congratulations to the 54 Walt Whitman High School seniors who were recognized for their proficiency in a second language as they received their New York State Seal of Biliteracy at a special breakfast on April 30th. The distinction was established in 2015 to recognize graduating seniors who demonstrate high-level proficiency in English and at least one additional world language.

An official seal is affixed to the students’ diplomas and transcripts, certifying for both universities and future employers, that the recipient possesses professional-grade bilingual skills. It’s a skill Walt Whitman principal Dr. John Murphy told students will serve them well in this globally connected age. “In the twenty-first century, in the digital age, we are a global community. There are no more borders. Businesses go from country to country, families go from country to country. It is now more important than ever that people understand that there are multiple languages, and we must be able to communicate with everyone in this world,” said Dr. Murphy.

The majority of this year’s seals were awarded in Spanish to a combination of students: those  who learned the language in the district’s K-6 immersive Dual-Language Program and native Spanish speakers who have mastered English. 

Senior Gabriel Raynor, a dual-language student and native English speaker, was inspired by his father’s heritage. “My dad immigrated here in the early 1980s from Uruguay. It was his dream for me to learn his native language. Even though I had trouble learning to speak English as a child and required speech therapy, he still encouraged me to learn Spanish. I was a little slower than everyone else, but I’m glad he persisted. If I was in Uruguay, I would be able to hold a conversation.” 

Two students, Sarah Bruzual and Wilson Cisneros Rivas, received recognition in three languages: English, Spanish, and Italian. And, the high school celebrated a historic first as senior Sara Yasir received the seal for Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. “She came to us two years ago,” said Cecilia Blanco, South Huntington’s Bilingual Education and English as a New Language (ENL) Coordinator. “She had some English, but she also had tremendous literacy skills in Urdu. She wrote a beautiful paper in handwriting because she didn’t learn how to type in Urdu back home, and she presented it beautifully. We invited three people from the community who read and write Urdu to assess her language. They were very impressed.”

To earn the Seal of Biliteracy students are required to accrue points through a combination of qualifying criteria including Regents testing, a designated proficiency test, language class grades, and a research project and presentation in the target language.

Congratulations to all of our Seal of Biliteracy recipients on this truly outstanding achievement!

 

French
Isabel Hassman, Sharon Perez, Ryan Yuen

 

Italian
Ryan Pastore, Ricardo Ruiz Argueta

 

Spanish
Azucena Alvarado Gomez, Fernando Ascencio Luna, Jeydi Ayala Rodriguez, Cesanyoly Bautista, Kian Bowditch, Adrian Burga, Madeline Castillo Romero, Heyby Castro Sosa, Mariza Catalan Hernandez, Yaritza Chavez, Liana Chetty, Jordan Churchman, Joseph Dominguez Amaya, Ibrahim Farooq, Kenia Fernandez Rodriguez, Andy Flores Reyes, Nicole Fuentes Sanchez, Abner Garcia Garcia, Nina Gonzalez, Henrry Gonzalez Jimenez, Aaron Jeri Vila, Brian Jimenez Andrade, Shay Lublin, Erlan Montoya Ulloa, Ashley Morales Bardales, Christofer Mota Ogando, Rony Ordonez Martinez, Fatima Parada Umana, Ana Pichardo Chacon, Issaias Portillo Garay, Valeria Portillo Quintanilla, Laura Quinones Ramirez, Cindy Quintanilla Saravia, Diana Ramirez, Gabriel Raynor, Gabriela Reyes, Angely Saravia, Ayaan Siddiqui, Shayaan Siddiqui, Angel Sorto, Kritz Taku, Jade Tintera, Jaslyne Ventura, Eimi Villalta Argueta, Brandon Villatoro Fuentes, Keillyn Yanes Buruca

 

Spanish and Italian
Sarah Bruzual, Wilson Cisneros Rivas

 

Urdu
Sara Yasir

 

Click here to learn more about South Huntington’s Dual-Language Program and the Seal of Biliteracy.