Franklin High Student Becomes Global Citizen

Published April 11, 2018

Franklin High’s Emily-Ann Bechtel will join 14 other students from across the country on a trip to Minnesota’s Concordia Language Villages to study Spanish.

Her performance on the National Spanish Examination (NSE) earned Emily-Ann a Global Citizenship Scholarship, an honor that only a handful of students can claim each year. To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must be in eighth, ninth or tenth grade and score in the 75th percentile or higher on the 2017 National Spanish Examination.

Emily-Ann took the NSE at her teacher’s suggestion. The NSE is an online assessment meant to measure performance and achievement of students who are learning Spanish as a second language. Emily-Ann was also required to submit a video of her and her teacher having a conversation in Spanish, an essay written in English and two letters of recommendation.

“She’s the type of student every teacher hopes to teach,” said Franklin High Spanish teacher Valerie Bell. “She’s eager to learn, participates and contributes to discussions and brings outside experience.”

The scholarship covers a two-week overnight stay at the Concordia Language Villages, which immerses campers in the culture they are studying.

This is just the beginning of Emily-Ann’s plans when it comes to immersing herself in different cultures.

“She hopes to one day travel to Spanish-speaking countries on missions or with a nonprofit,” Bell said.