On Tuesday, May 28th, Bangor High School recognized 16 seniors who have achieved the Maine Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award recognizing students who have attained proficiency in two or more languages by their high school graduation.
In order to earn the Seal of Biliteracy in Maine, students must pass a language proficiency test and be on track to pass their senior English class. This year, 16 Bangor High School students have earned a total of 19 Seals of Biliteracy, with 3 students earning the Seal for two different world languages. The languages represented among the honored students include Arabic, American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
"We are incredibly proud of these students and their impressive accomplishments," said Marisue Schuiling, World Languages Department Chair at Bangor High School. "Earning the Seal of Biliteracy is a significant achievement that demonstrates their dedication to developing proficiency in multiple languages."
In addition to the 16 seniors recognized, Bangor High School currently has 66 students on the pathway to earning the Seal of Biliteracy. Called Emergent Bilinguals, these students have taken a proficiency test in a second language but still have to pass their senior year of English.
To celebrate their accomplishment, the World Languages Department invited former BHS graduate, Andy Sandweiss, to be the guest speaker at their ceremony. In addition, Mr. Sandweiss spent the day speaking to all the BHS World Language students about the importance of bilingualism in making cross-cultural connections, keeping their brains healthy, and advancing their future careers.