At a recent World Languages Honor Society and NYS Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB) awards ceremony, 65 BH-BL High School students were recognized for their hard work, dedication, and scholarship in World Languages.
Thirty-five high school students were inducted into the World Languages Honor Society and 30 students were recognized for earning a NYSSB, which is based on multiple measures of their language skills in both English and their respective world language.
All Honor Society inductees completed service hours throughout the school year participating in language and cultural activities ranging from holiday celebrations, National Foreign Language Week activities,tutoring other language students, working with native speakers, and volunteering their time.
The NYSSB recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in English and one or more world languages. The intent of the NYSSB is to encourage the study of languages to identify high school graduates with advanced language skills for employers and universities, prepare students with 21st- century skills (cultural competence, global citizenship, effective communication), recognize the value of language instruction, and to affirm the value of diversity in a multilingual society.
“It was an honor to welcome back Nico Angerosa, a 2013 BH-BL graduate, as our keynote speaker,” says World Language Department Head Brenna Muldoon. “Nico shared his inspiration and love for language-learning, global competence, and travel while giving students a glimpse into how World Language education influenced his life.”
“What really stuck with me was the way language opened numerous doors,” said Angerosa. “Not just the literal ones when you land in a new country and can actually ask where the bathroom is, but the bigger ones: doors to connection, to understanding, and to belonging.
“And whether I was indulging in paella and flamenco performances, discovering ancient Roman ruins and Mediterranean beaches, or practicing the sacred Argentine religion consisting of empanadas and fútbol (soccer), it was in each of those experiences that I realized that language is about community. It is about listening just as much as speaking. It’s about celebrating traditions with family and friends, and finding common ground with total strangers,” he adds.