JK-12 World Languages Department Chair Patrick Huewe and the World Languages Department recently recognized the MICDS students who earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy. The seal is awarded to students who have demonstrated achievement in English, a Language Other Than English (LOTE), and sociocultural competence. All Missouri students studying any of the world’s languages are potential Seal candidates.
The Missouri Seal promotes active participation in a global society and economy by incentivizing, recognizing, and celebrating the acquisition of biliteracy skills and sociocultural awareness. Students satisfy criteria for biliteracy attainment using internationally or nationally recognized language assessments or in the cases of rare or unique languages, a comprehensive portfolio evaluated by a professional proficient in that language.
A world languages program prepares students for life in a global society and economy. These skills include the ability to communicate with clients, colleagues, and associates who speak a language other than English as well as understand the sociocultural intricacies that can further enhance the relationship. The Missouri Seal is intended to clarify, validate, and revitalize the public perceptions associated with acquiring languages, raise awareness of the need and benefits of acquiring a second language, and promote cultural understanding.
The mission of the MICDS World Languages Department is to graduate students who possess language skills and proficiency, multicultural perspectives, and global competence with the purpose of embracing all people with compassion. Graduates will have built relationships with diverse communities in an interconnected world and be empathetic global citizens who endeavor to lead lives of service and purpose and act virtuously.
“The essence of language learning is about connecting with other people and showing them that you care enough about them that you want to communicate in their language,” said Huewe. “Students who earn the Seal of Biliteracy embody that sentiment not only through their academic success, but by holding themselves to a higher standard for becoming a global citizen.”
Before the certificates were awarded, Huewe welcomed Dr. Geoff Childs, husband of Lily Childs, Upper School World Languages (Mandarin) Teacher, to the stage. Dr. Childs is a Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. He spoke eloquently about the importance of learning new languages and shared anecdotes about his ability to connect with others around the world, even when he didn’t always say the words he meant to.
Huewe read student names while their teachers awarded them certificates. Lily Childs (Mandarin), Steven Crumb (French), Robin Begley and Alyoska Díaz (Spanish), and Huewe (Heritage Languages) congratulated each student.
After, Huewe shared a sentiment from Trevor Noah’s book Born a Crime about the value of speaking the languages of others, that is the heart of the mission of the World Languages and Cultures Department: “…to graduate students who possess language skills and proficiency, multicultural perspectives, and global competence with the purpose of embracing all people with compassion.”
Nelson Mandela once said, ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.’ He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else’s language, even if it’s just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being.”
-Trevor Noah
Congratulations to the following students on earning the Seal of Biliteracy:
Mandarin Seal Recipients
- Angelina Shen ’24
- Louis Niemeyer ’24
- Eliza Dorf ’23
- Eric Feng ’24
- Jason Klutho* ’23
- Diane Li ’24
- Alice Ma ’23
- Brian Schlafly ’24
- Owen Zhang ’23
French Seal Recipients
- Isabelle Cox-Garleanu ’26
- Madison Sineff ’24
- Devon Catsavis ’24
- Ellie Lochhead ’24
- Alana Doherty ’24
- Rio Sato ’26
- Maggie Gonzalez Navarrine ’24
- Sophia Huddleston ’25
- Ipsita Bhogaraju ’24
- Sahar Bhutto ’24
- Ella Brauer ’24
- Esha Singh ’24
- Naya Mitra ’24
- Alexandra Walker ’24
- Sophie Reed ’24
Spanish Seal Recipients
- Omkaar Alakkassery ’24
- Maya Ashley-Martin ’24
- Hasan Aslam ’24
- William Carpenter ’24
- Vikram Checka ’24
- Bridget Clennan ’24
- Krish Desai ’24
- Shivani Devrapally ’24
- Ella Etherington ’24
- Charlie Fisher ’24
- Ameer Hajji ’24
- Karis Haney ’24
- Ishika Kanjerla ’24
- Alex Kellner ’24
- Liam McCarthy ’24
- Samruddh Singh ’24
- Genesis Starks ’24
- Rishi Tarapareddy ’24
- Chloe Davis ’24
- Binta Fall ’23
- Intisar Iqbal ’24
- Ananya Kamineni ’24
- Haider Malik ’24
- Mikaela Mikulec ’24
- Emma Rupinski ’24
- Sameer Shafqat* ’24
- Kate Williamson ’24
- Thomas Woodrow ’24
- Zoe Zlatic ’24
- Prithvi Atluri ’24
- Armaan Chandak ’24
- Henry Clay ’24
- Andrew Clifford ’24
- Thisbe Diamond ’24
- Max Garcia ’24
- Janet He ’24
- Arianna Maciá ’24
- Kenni McDile ’24
- Annabelle Medler ’24
- Isabel Phillips* ’24
- Fabiola Theodoro ’24
- Grace Villagomez ’24
- Cody Zheng ’24
Heritage and Native Language Recipients
- Alice Ma ’23 – Mandarin
- Sammrudh Singh ’24 – Hindi
- Kelly Zhao ’24 – Mandarin
*Denotes Distinguished Seal Recipient
Special Note: Samruddh Singh earned two SOBLs for Spanish and Hindi.