Fourteen seniors and two juniors were celebrated on Wednesday in Oak Knoll’s annual World Language Honor Society Induction Ceremony. This ceremony recognizes students who are enrolled in upper level language classes and have reached an intermediate-high-level proficiency to advance-level proficiency in Latin, French, and Spanish.

The students are either juniors enrolled in an honors level five course, or seniors who have surpassed Oak Knoll’s three-year language requirement and are currently in their fourth year of language studies in the honors four, five, or AP level. In addition to their language study, many of these students also commit to related activities, such as leading round tables, visiting the Lower School to promote their language, peer tutoring, or writing articles for two of our world language newsletters, Ecoute-Moi and La Vista (see below).

“The students’ unfaltering dedication to learning another language has earned them the high recognition of being inducted into the National Junior Classical League (Latin), La Société Honoraire de Français (French), and La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica,” said World Languages Department Chair Veronika Zavaleta-Tejeda. 

The following students were inducted:

National Junior Classical League

• Aleena Ahmed ’24
• Heidi Pearce ’24

La Société Honoraire de Français

• Alanna Chobor ’23
• Katharine Cugno ’23
• Megan McCann ’23
• Laura Ryan ’23
• Charlotte Sutton ’23

La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica

• Virginia Luna ’23
• Zoe Boggier ’23
• Grace Cannizzo ’23
• Samantha Liberato ’23
• Emma Ramsey ’23
• Courtney Coyle ’23
• Sarah Kuhl ’23
• Sarah Maher ’23
• Katherine Siedem ’23

Each inductee was asked to answer the prompt, “What do you like best about learning your language and what have you learned about yourself on your language journey? 

“Learning this language and learning about the culture has made me a more well-rounded person and more creative,” said Alanna Chobor ’23. “I’ve learned that when I put my mind to anything, I can accomplish anything. The journey of learning a language is challenging, but the stories that we created together are the most memorable that we’ll have with us forever.”

Zoe Boggier ‘23 said, “Language is the earliest opportunity by which to bond with another person. To speak to someone in their own tongue is to form an immediate connection with them. It serves as both cultural distinction and the tool of unification. I now realize that my greatest strength lies in cross-curricular knowledge.”

The ceremony also included a reflection on her own language journey by Upper School Division Head Kathryn McGroarty, distribution of certificates, reciting of the Honor Society Oath, and singing of the Oak Knoll Alma Mater.

Congratulations to all our inductees!

What is La Vista?

It is Oak Knoll’s Spanish newsletter, established in the early 2000s by Spanish language students. LaVista explores topics related to the Spanish-speaking world, researches them and writes about them to share with the Oak Knoll community. 

What is Ecoute-Moi?

It is the Oak Knoll French Newsletter founded by Nathalie Smith, a former Oak Knoll graduate. To continue the legacy of our founder, we invite our talented students to be part of this association whose editor-in-chief is a senior, assisted by a plethora of competent writers. Ecoute-Moi releases five issues per year, and its staff members meet regularly to assess and discuss various editions, such as Fall, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Spring, and Summer.