Several world language students from Lafayette High School attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2016 National Spanish Examinations.

Students from Lafayette High School earned two bronze medals along with 10 honorable mentions.

“Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, national director of the exams, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with over 160,000 students participating in 2016.”

In the Spanish 1 category, senior Mary Morris Jackson was a bronze medalist. Senior Sam Meals scored a bronze medal and was first in the state in the Spanish 4 exam. Honorable mentions in the Spanish 1 exam were earned by August Andre, Alberto Duarte-Genelle and Patrick Rikard. In the Spanish 2 exam, honorable mentions were earned by Emma Humphreys, Erin McChesney, Lilly McElreath, Dylan Pittman, Zach Pugh and Kyle Snow. Rachel Reed scored honorable mention in the Spanish 3 exam.

Students from LHS have a long history of high achievement on these exams and were taught by Spanish teachers Loidha Bautista and Scott Jimenez.

The National Spanish Examinations are administered each year in grades six through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.