Las Cruces Public Schools hosted the awards ceremony for the New Mexico State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy on May 4, in the gymnasium at Centennial High School. More than 123 students earned their state seal for bilingualism and biliteracy in a language they have studied over the years.
The top 15 students earned a distinguished seal based off their GPA and assessment score. The student with the highest GPA and assessment score earned the outstanding state seal for bilingualism and biliteracy.
The New Mexico State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy honors students as they prepare to meet the needs of their communities by becoming bilingual and biliterate. The state seal of bilingualism and biliteracy on a New Mexico high school diploma certifies that the recipient is proficient in a language other than English. Proficiency, in this case, means the ability to express oneself and participate effectively in most social and academic situations.
The Bilingualism-Biliteracy State Seal statute and rule are not only an important piece of New Mexico history, but they are a meaningful and practical legacy as an ideal avenue for students interested in showcasing and leveraging their proficiency in one or more languages other than English. The graduating class of 2016 was the first class to include graduates with the state seal on their diploma of excellence as well as a notation on their transcript.
This year, LCPS is proud to honor 123 students from high schools around the district with their official state seal of bilingualism and biliteracy. The students who earned their state seal for bilingualism and biliteracy are as follows:
Las Cruces Public Schools:
New Mexico State Seal of Bilingualism/Biliteracy
† Indicates Distinguished Seal Recipient
¥ Indicates Outstanding Seal Recipient
* Indicates Global Seal Recipient
Arrowhead Park Early College High School/Arrowhead Park Medical Academy
Valeria Calderón Olivas- Spanish *
Isabel Pérez-González- Spanish † *
Abril Ramírez-Holguín- Spanish *
Ariana Rodríguez- Spanish *
Brianna Ruiz- Spanish *
Elizabeth Varela- Spanish *
Centennial High School
Bashir Abudabbous- Arabic *
Sebastián Álvarez- Spanish † *
Jarhec Arreola- Spanish † *
Sadi Adabache- Spanish *
Saul Burciaga- Spanish *
Grace Chang- Korean † *
Iván Chávez Parra- Spanish *
Emmy Corral- Spanish *
Andrea Díaz- Spanish *
Kimberly Domínguez- Spanish *
Steven Esparza- Spanish *
Ayleen Estrada- Spanish *
Josué Valle Lara- Spanish *
Alejandro Verduzco- Spanish *
Christine Yoo- German
Christine Yoo- Korean *
Robert Estrada- Spanish *
Tess Fuqua- Spanish *
Alejandro Grajeda- Spanish *
Metzli Gutiérrez- Spanish *
Maximiliano Hultsch Martínez- Spanish † *
Sofia Lempke- Spanish † *
Jimena Loya- Spanish *
Sergio Luna- Spanish *
Yuthziry Mendoza-Prieto- Spanish *
Emmanuel Moreno- Spanish † *
Oscar Muñoz-Grijalva- Spanish *
Alicia Ochoa Hernández- Spanish *
Evelyn Ochoa-Trejo- Spanish
*Aaren Emilio Ortiz- Spanish *
Isaac Pineda- Spanish *
Ai Khuyen Prasad- Vietnamese *
Karen Rivas-Pérez- Spanish *
Eduardo Talavera- Spanish *
Kimberlnn Torres Varela- Spanish *
Las Cruces High School
Colette Bailey- French † *
Thomas Bestelmeyer- French † *
Michelle Cárdenas- French *
Michelle Cárdenas- Spanish † *
Martín Carrasco-Castrejón- Spanish
Angel Castañeda- Spanish *
Ana Zamora-Quintero- Spanish
Camila Zubia Contreras- Spanish
Minh Ong- Vietnamese † *
Yaniris Paisano- Spanish
Jaime Ramírez-Estrada- Spanish
María Regalado- Spanish
Yulia Sáenz- Spanish *
Daniela Salgado Castillo- Spanish
Ksenia Sevostianov- French † *
Ksenia Sevostianov- Russian *
Jessica Silva- Spanish *
Eliseo Tiqui- German *
Mia Velázquez-Acosta- Spanish *
Keeyana Washington- Spanish *
Victoria Chávez-Navarrete- Spanish
Aleyda Enríquez- Spanish *
Emily Esparza- Spanish *
Liliana Galán Romero- Spanish
Arelis García Sánchez- Spanish *
Jair García- Spanish *
Kimberly Gómez- Spanish
Bryan González- Spanish *
Jael Lira- Spanish *
Diego Luna- Spanish *
Paula Márquez- Spanish *
Ashley Mireles León- Spanish
Alma Morales- Spanish *
Ciara Quezada- Spanish *
Ramsés Rentería Rico- Spanish
Amy Ríos- Spanish *
Dallana Rivas- Spanish *
Valeria Castillo- Spanish *
Heidi Delgado Gardea- Spanish *
Olivia León- Spanish
Jannet Estrada-Minjares- Spanish
Ever González Jiménez- Spanish
Dana González Moreno- Spanish
Kevin González- Spanish
Cesar Marines- Spanish *
Jesús Montejo- Spanish *
Levi Montoya- Spanish *
Azul Morales- Spanish
José Moreno- French
José Moreno- Spanish *
Annie Nattakom- French † *
Mayfield High School
Kaehly Baca- Spanish *
Allison De Santiago- Spanish † *
Jared Esparza González- Spanish *
Valeria García Aguirre- Spanish *
Grisel González- Spanish *
Saida Luján- Spanish
Robert Monsiváiz- Spanish ¥ † *
Daniel Muñoz- Spanish
Vanessa Muñoz- Spanish
José Puente Vieyra- Spanish *
Oswaldo Reyes- Spanish
Alysandra Rico- Spanish
Noe Rodríguez- Spanish
Jonathan Sánchez- Spanish
Josué Urquijo- Spanish
Arely Varela- Spanish
Organ Mountain High School
Alan Armenta Barraza- Spanish
Victoria Calzada Loera- Spanish
José Camuñez- Spanish *
Oscar Carrillo- Spanish *
María Chávez De La Cruz- Spanish
Carina Rodríguez Acosta- Spanish
Leilani Rodríguez- Spanish
Omar Rodríguez- Spanish
Celeste Rosales- Spanish *
Renee Rosas-Herrera- Spanish *
Berenise Salas-García- Spanish
Brandon Solís-Ramos- Spanish *
Maryfer Valenzuela-Maldonado- Spanish *
Itzel Zamarripa- Spanish *
Lindsey Zapata- Spanish *
***