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Rachel Loya earns Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy award!

WHS senior among 37 students state-wide honored by the NE Department of Education & NE International Languages Association for high proficiency in multiple languages

November 02, 2020

Congratulations WHS senior Rachel Loya on receiving a 2020 Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy award!

The Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska International Languages Association have awarded 38 Seals of Biliteracy to 37 Nebraska students this semester.

The Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy is a collaboration between the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the Nebraska International Language Association honoring high school students who have achieved a high level of proficiency in English and at least one other language.

Students apply for the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy after demonstrating proficiency based on the Nebraska World Language Standards structured around communication, cultures, connections, communities, and cognition within a language other than English.

One of this year's recipients is Wahoo High School senior Rachel Loya!

Under the guidance of former WHS Spanish instructor Weston Sieck, Loya was able to complete the AP Spanish Exam (Language & Culture) in the spring of the 2019-2020 school year. Upon completing the exam, Loya earned a score of "4," and through meeting other award criteria, was awarded the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy with Gold Level distinction.

"Rachel is such a hard-working individual," Sieck commented. "I could not be prouder of her accomplishment!"

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course strives not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. To best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught almost exclusively in Spanish. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural products (e.g., tools, books, music, laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions).

Rachel's success on the AP Spanish exam opens up a few additional options for her, depending upon her plans after high school. A score of 4 or higher earns her credit at participating postsecondary schools. If she decides to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha, for instance, Rachel would earn credit for Spanish 1110, 1120, 2110 and 2120 (16 total credit hours).

"Rachel's continued commitment to learning is further supported with this achievement!" said WPS Director of Learning Dr. Josh Snyder. "She is a diligent student and a positive member of our high school community."

Congratulations Rachel on this impressive accomplishment!

2020 Fall Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy Recipients

Rachel Loya
Wahoo High School
Spanish

Teagan Ahrens
Bishop Neumann Catholic High School
Spanish

Abby Flint
Broken Bow High School
Spanish

Meg Carney
Elkhorn High School
Spanish

Miriam Call
Elkhorn South High School
Spanish

Sef Sarroub-Le Sueur
Lincoln East High School
French

Esme Krohn
Lincoln High School
German

Valentina Catalano
Lincoln High School
French

Thea Lahey
Lincoln High School
German

Raegan Wood
Lincoln High School
Spanish