Wheeling Park High School has recently awarded 12 seniors with The West Virginia Seal of Biliteracy, and will receive the seal on their high school diploma.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a nationally recognized award presented to high school students who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language. To receive this honor, students must take 2 assessments. One assessment is for English and another for a foreign language. Students must have passing scores on both to receive the seal.

For a state like West Virginia, global knowledge is not only a good personal skill that sets you apart from others, but for those who receive The Seal of Biliteracy, it can also provide practical benefits. Seal recipients can receive college credits and can use the recognition as a method of identification for employers who seek people with bilingual skill.

“Earning the Seal of Biliteracy represents years of dedication and a commitment to understanding cultures beyond our own,” said Park Foreign Language Department Head, Mr. Bennett. “Students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy took an exam in March that lasted hours testing their speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills, With it they are able to take it and show it to employers and universities.”

Learning and understanding foreign cultures may seem hard, but for many students it can be a deeply enriching personal experience. Senior Dillon Macri, who was awarded The Seal Of Biliteracy in Spanish this year, believes it is important to learn new languages,

“There are a lot of reasons why learning more than one language is important … it can connect you to other cultures and people allowing you double times the opportunities you have with just one language” said Marci. “Learning a language is a skill, and it isn’t necessarily even a really hard one to learn … There’s no doubt that learning will change your perspective on life.”

Congratulations to all the students who went above and beyond to learn a new language and The Seal Of Biliteracy.