Portland Adventist Academy (PAA) senior and Spanish IV student Jack Blashchishen was recently awarded a prestigious scholarship for his achievement in the Spanish language.
The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (National Spanish Honor Society) recognizes only 60 students in the nation for Spanish achievement. Of the 60, the top 12 students, including Blashchishen, were recognized for proficiency and awarded $2,000 to be used in the fall of 2015 at any college or university.
The NSHS evaluates applicants on many criteria. Rita Barrett, PAA’s Spanish teacher, says the application process was intense. “Besides submitting the application, reference letters and a transcript, Jack also had to submit a 500-word essay in Spanish and a five-minute video interview with me.”
“The NSHS committee said Jack’s submission was ‘sobresaliente,’ which means outstanding,” says Barrett. “I have been proud to watch Jack progress from an absolute beginner his freshman year to a fluent speaker as a senior and am thrilled he received this recognition.”
“I am proud of all my students who have embraced Spanish,” says Barrett, “not as just an academic requirement, but as a language that will open doors to many opportunities for them. I have many ‘sobresaliente’ students this year who are reaching high levels of fluency, driven by their passion for the language. I want to support their continued growth and encourage them to become lifelong language learners and lovers.”
PAA Spanish student Jack Blashchishen wins an important scholarship for his proficiency in Spanish.
"I have been proud to watch Jack progress from an absolute beginner his freshman year to a fluent speaker as a senior,” says Rita Barrett (left), PAA Spanish teacher. “I am thrilled he received this recognition.”
