WEST ORANGE, NJ — Sixty-five West Orange High School students have received the New Jersey Department of Education Seal of Biliteracy, several receiving trilingual and quadrilingual proficiency.
“The Seal of Biliteracy is an award granted by a school, district, organization or state in the United States of America, in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation,” according to the Seal of Biliteracy website.
To qualify, a student must be able to speak, read, listen and write in two or more languages at a high level of proficiency. In order to be eligible for the Seal of Biliteracy, students need to demonstrate proficiency in a world language and meet state high school graduation requirements in English, as measured by state ELA assessments or its alternatives.
The students who received the Seal of Biliteracy from the NJDOE will receive a certificate signed by the governor as well as an insignia affixed to their transcript.
This year’s WOHS students were recognized for proficiency in English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Portugese, Chinese, Hebrew, Korean and Polish.
Yamilee Kristen Chavez and Anna Sophia Cordova both attained quadrilingual proficiency in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Achieving trilingual proficiency were: in English, Spanish and Italian, Joaquin Rodrigo Acuna, Karin Alexa Palomino, Isabella Pappano, Sebastian Adrian Rivero, Daniela Paolina Tacuri Andrade and Justin Vera; in English, Haitian Creole and French, Jhunie Clerveus and Loucille Magloire; in English, Spanish and Chinese, Sofia Cordoba-Valencia; in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, Natchenly Fleurisma; in English, Spanish and French, Abigail Geronimo and Jahaira Santisteban; and in English, Spanish and Hebrew, Maya Tobin.
Attaining bilingual proficiency were: in Spanish and English, Mariela Alvarez, Isabella Angeles, Emily Ardon, Matthew Arizmendi, Victoria Benaroya, Steve Brizuela-Fernandez, Maria Cabezas, Aleks Cardoza Mejia, Brandon Cavero Vasquez, Elizabeth Duarte, Odalis Garcia Pulido, Keren Gouin Dominguez, Erica Guallpa, Kimberly Hercules Ramos, July Hernandez-Garcia, Jasper Hilliard, Kevin Humala, Carolina LaTorre, Glenda Luna, Maria Marin-Tobar, Richardt Morocho, Brandon Olivera, Brunella Paredes, Felipe Ponce Hernan, Diana Rendon, Elizabeth Rivera, Melani Rodriguez, Isabella Saade, Matthew Salazar, Evelyn Silva Herrera, Katerin Tamay, Christopher Tamay, Salome Valencia, Danna Vela Mendoza, Diego Vela-Espejo, Thaina Vera, Anayelli Denise Vigo and Julieta Villafan Crocett; in Haitian Creole and English, Chrismaelie Anselme, Ernishka Clervil, Nathanael Dalencour and Leensay Guilloteau; in English and Chinese, Jenny Chen; in English and Italian, Katherine Isabella Garcia, Joseph Nalieth, Gabriel Reyna and Maria Giovanna Winning; in Polish and English, Alexandra Kicior; in French and English, Gabrielle Lecour; and in English and Korean, Samantha Rhew.
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