2024 Grads Earn Multilingual Distinction

by Jaidyn Bills

Avon High School is able to celebrate our continued growth in diversity by celebrating 12 members of the class of '24 who were recently awarded with the Indiana Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency. The award is a great honor that includes that recipients fulfilled strict requirements that demonstrate they have attained a high level of proficiency of a second language.

[Being multilingual] has opened up many doors for me. Liam Hoffman, AHS Class of '24 Valedictorian

"Being multilingual has definitely been a huge part of my life," says class of '24 valedictorian Liam Hoffman. "It's always allowed me to stay connected to the culture of my family." Hoffman is pursuing a minor in German during his undergraduate studies at Princeton. He plans to pursue internships only be available to German speakers. "It has served to open up many doors for me," says Hoffman.

More than 90 languages are spoken in Avon, and the opportunity for students to earn these awards demonstrates our shared value of celebrating the diversity that sets us apart. It also recognizes the value of world language and multilingual learning in our schools.

"By offering the Indiana Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency," says AHS Assistant Principal Kyle Nelson, "we are honoring and celebrating our multilingual students and the skills they have attained."

The students all had to have eight English credits, six world language credits, and pass a proficiency test to earn the recognition.

Congratulations to:

• Vanessa Navarro, Spanish
• Ahtziri Pelayo-Pelayo, Spanish
• Liam Hoffman, German
• Cadence Hohmann, German
• Samuel Clore, Spanish
• Lulia Emanuel, Spanish
• Blake Ervin, Spanish
• Crystal Garcia, Spanish
• Christopher McLoughlin, Spanish
• Gabriel Miller, Spanish
• Daniel Rodriguez Valdez, Spanish
• Avniel Vaddi, Spanish

Thank you, grads, for your dedication to becoming multilingual and for representing the diverse groups that make our community whole.