High Tech scores big in 2015 National Spanish Exams

HUDSON COUNTY – High Tech High School students of Spanish, levels I and II, scored exemplarily in the 2015 National Spanish Exam (NSE), sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). High Tech accepts students from throughout Hudson County.
The NSE assesses students’ proficiency in the Spanish language as they compete on a national level with their peers. “Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” says Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, national director of the exams, “because these exams are the largest of their kind in the United States, with over 157,000 students participating in 2015.”
The following students performed highly on the Spanish I exam: Amirah Johnson of Jersey City scored a 95, earning Premio de Oro (Gold Award); North Bergen resident Alyssa Mojica and Olivia Ruiz of Guttenberg earned Premio de Plata (Silver Award); Hoboken residents Ryan Brett, Maeve Munroe, and Cole Quist and Jeremy Lewan of Bayonne received Premio de Bronce (Bronze Award); Ghenwa Hassan of Bayonne, Jalina Bryson and Joan Marie Tubungbanua of Jersey City, Jeel Shah and Catherine Cabrera of North Bergen, Shelina Chotrani and Gabriel Mendez of Secaucus, Union City resident Taylor Avila, and Ada Zhu of Weehawken received Mención Honoraria (Honorable Mention).
The following students earned Mención Honoraria on the Spanish I and II exams:Bayonne resident Adrion Perez, Bryanna Acosta and Gabriela Sesin of North Bergen, and Secaucus resident Zachary Canonico.Kevin Martinez of West New York in Spanish I and II received Premio de Plata; Premio de Bronce recipients include Guttenberg resident Lauren Krasnoff, Andrea Velasquez of Jersey City, and North Bergen resident Malena Rodriguez; Guttenberg resident Hena Pardasani, Sophia Battaglia of Hoboken, Jersey City resident Katrina Origenes, Gabriella Espinal and Yingxue Hu of Kearny, North Bergen resident Tanushri Shah, Emily Torres, and Jeffrey Zarzuela, and Secaucus resident Aimee Gamboa received Mención Honoraria.