These past few months, students who competed in the National French Exam have been holding their breath waiting for their scores. This past Sunday those who had high ranks were honored at a banquet held at Lake Central.
“The test is good because it allows students to realize that they are competing well in the language,” Ms. Nancy Tilka, World Language, said.
Placing in the top three in the state or even nationally is a big accomplishment and reflects the success of the student, as well as the teacher.
“I hope to continue French and I want to minor in it, [and] Ms. Tilka has made it so easy for me to grow in my language learning. I’m going to miss her the most and her teaching style [when I graduate,]” Sarah Diviney (12) said.
For some of the winners, this is not their first time placing in the top five.
“I’ve placed all three years but each year I’ve gotten better. I went from second place in the state my first year to first place in the state last year. I got [third] place nationally this year. It’s really satisfying,” Darcy Niewiadomski (11) said.
For those who have placed for the first time, the accomplishment was just as fulfilling.
“It felt really nice [to receive my medal]. It felt like I really accomplished something,” Thomas Pavell (9) said.
The reception had about 40 attendees, both from Lake Central and other schools in the district.
“We had more students than ever take the test. Twelve of the 16 winners were present. It was wonderful because I love meeting everyone. I’m always impressed shows we have such supportive parents and motivated students,” Ms. Tilka said.
All of the students were applauded for their success and presented with medals to honor their success on the exam.
“I’ve been working towards placing nationally since my freshman year, so I was really excited,” Niewiadomski said.
Students’ success on the test, as well as their hard work all year, shows just how much effort someone needs to thrive in the French language.
“All of the students that placed are good students. It’s so fun and interesting to see how they place,” Ms. Tilka said.
