News Release
March 1, 2024
2024 Nebraska World Language Distinguished Scholars Recognized
The Nebraska Department of Education is recognizing 65 Distinguished World Language Scholars during World Language Week 2024.
The World Language Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes Nebraska students for their leadership in language learning, commitment to language study, appreciation for cultural diversity, and communicative competence. Students were nominated by their teachers and submitted a portfolio.
“Learning a world language means strengthening one’s understanding of humans across all backgrounds, ethnicities, and time periods.,” said Bellevue West High senior and World Language Distinguished Scholar Nathan Walther. “Learning a world language is an essential skill that is necessary in the diverse world we live in today, because it builds much needed connections between people amidst much divisiveness.”
For more information about World Language Week and the World Language Distinguished Scholar Award visit: https://www.education.ne.gov/worldlanguage/world-language-week/.
| High Honors
CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING |
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| Carmen Vega Garcia
Chinese Intermediate High (Level 5+) South High Magnet school Gao Min Palmer, Teacher
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Dalin Chea
Chinese Intermediate High (Level 5+) Lincoln North Star High School Coral Su, Teacher
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| Emma Eichner
Chinese Intermediate Low (Level 3&4) Scottsbluff High School Yiju Ting, Teacher
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Erin Hazelwood
Chinese Intermediate Low (Level 3&4) Lincoln North Star High School Coral Su, Teacher
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| Jolen Nguyen
Chinese Novice (Level 1&2) Lincoln North Star High School Coral Su, Teacher
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Julie Li
Chinese Immediate High (Level 5+) Lincoln Southeast High School/ Lincoln Chinese Academy Wen Hou, Teacher
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| Cade Chiles
French Intermediate Low (Level 3&4) Lincoln Northwest High School Sasha Van Zandt, Teacher
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Guilherme Bertholio
French Novice (Levels 1&2) Ralston High School Alex Plambeck, Teacher
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| GERMAN LANGUAGE LEARNING | |||
| Deja Hubbard
German Intermediate Low (Levels 3&4) Omaha Central High School Erica Meyer, Teacher
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Fiona Bryant
German Interemediate Low (Levels 3&4) Omaha Central High School Erica Meyer, Teacher
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| Jacki Alles
German Novice (Levels 1&2) Lincoln High School Marissa Wanamaker, Teacher
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John Church
German Novice (Levels 1&2) Millard West High School Andrea Turner, Teacher
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| Maia McNaughton
German Intermediate Low (Levels 3&4) Gretna High School Kellye Deane, Teacher |
Sam Joyce
German Intermediate High (Levels 5+) Omaha Central High School Erica Meyer, Teacher |
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JAPANESE LANGUAGE LEARNING |
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| Lily Pope
Janpanese Novice (Levels 1&2 – Non-Public) Elmwood-Murdock Jr/Sr. High School Manuel Camina, Teacher |
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SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
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| Allison Caples
Spanish Novice (Level 1&2) Papillion La Vista Senior High School Stephanie Call-Boettger, Teacher
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Axel Lopez
Spanish Intermediate Mid (SSS Level 3) Westside High School (Omaha) Rosa Kennedy, Teacher |
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| Brady Dahlberg
Spanish Novice (Levels 1&2) ESU5 – Thedford High School Kelly Garcia, Teacher
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Carolina Vega
Spanish Intermediate (SSS Level 4) Ralston High school Jamiane Reiter, Teacher
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| Danessa Buckles
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3&4) Deshler High School Kaitlyn Buss, Teacher |
Ember Hemmer
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3&4), Conestoga Junior/Senior High School Rebecca Spangler, Teacher |
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| Emerson Widener
Spanish Level 1 & 2 Norfolk Senior High School Alecia Amezcua, Teacher |
Grant Ruma
Spanish Novice (Level 1&2 – Non-public) Creighton Preparatory School Gwen Fisher, Teacher
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| Isabel Ortiz Aguayo
Spanish Intermediate Low (SSS Level 1) Ralston High School Jamiane Reiter, Teacher |
Jacey Ryan
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Lincoln Northeast High School Stephanie Galdames, Teacher
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| Jaquelyn Ornelas-Ochoa
Spanish Intermediate Mid (SSS Level 3) South Platte High School Gladys K Einspahr-Sylvester, Teacher
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Jayden Truong
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3 & 4) Waverly High School Tiffany Dalton, Teacher |
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| Jocelyn Huang
Spanish Intermediate Mid (Level 5+), Millard North High School Shaun Hoover, Teacher |
Jocelyn Huang
Spanish Intermediate Mid (Level 5+), Millard North High School Shaun Hoover, Teacher
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| Jordyn Gentrup
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Wisner-Pilger High School Lia Raabe, Teacher
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Josephine Moyer
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3 & 4) West Point High School Meghan Schneider, Teacher
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| Katherine Douglas
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Arlington High School Elsa Glasford, Teacher |
Kenia Aguirre
Spanish Intermediate Mid (SSS Level 3) Omaha Bryan high school Carmen Lazo, Teacher
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| Layla Formanack
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Conestoga Jr./Sr. High School Rebecca Spangler, Teacher
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Madison Johnson
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3 & 4) South Platte High School Gladys K. Einspahr-Sylvester, Teache |
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| Madison Cheleen
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 1 & 2) South Platte High School Gladys K. Einspahr-Sylvester, Teacher |
Mia Rikli
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3 & 4) Elmwood-Murdock Jr/Sr High School Manuel Camina, Teacher
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| Owen Miller
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Fort Calhoun High School Anita Saalfeld, Teacher
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Rachel Mayes
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 3 & 4) West Point Beemer High School Meghan Schneider, Teacher
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| Sienna Maskin
Spanish Intermediate Low (Level 1 & 2) Omaha Central High School Melissa Kuskie, Teacher |
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SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING – Middle School
| Elise Mays
Spanish Novice (Level 1 & 2) Westside Middle School Kelly Schulz, Teacher |
| Honors
CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING-High School |
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| Jinyee Huang
Elkhorn South High School Wei Whitbeck, Teacher
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Johnny Alexandro Barriga Barajas
Omaha South Megnetic High School Gao Min Palmer, Teacher
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Klaw Reh
Northwest High Magnet School (Omaha) Shan Li, Teacher
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| Misty Yang
Nebraska Chinese Association School Wang Wei, Teacher
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Praizh Suggs
Westview High School Chen Zhang, Teacher
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| CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING – Middle School | ||
| Daniel Cai
Lux Middle School/ Lincoln Chinese Academy Jane Li, Teacher |
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| FRENCH LANGUAGE LEARNING | ||
| Lily Keifer
Lincoln Northwest High School Sasha Van Zandt, Teacher |
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| GERMAN LANGUAGE LEARNING | ||
| Aislinn Miller
Fremont High School Brenda Schiermeyer, Teacher |
Ava Miller
Fremont High School Brenda Schiermeyer, Teacher |
Natasha Chabikwa
Grand Island Senior High School Spencer Tessman, Teacher
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| SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING | ||
| Adelle Fry
Millard North High School Shaun Hoover, Teacher |
Allie Boyer
Mullen High School Dominique Werner, Teacher |
Allison Schanbacher
Ralston High School Jamie Demson, Teacher
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| Ashlyn Zoubek
ESU5 – Wilber-Clatonia High School Kelly Garcia, Teacher |
Aubrie Burke
Norfolk Senior High School, Esmeralda Martinez, Teacher
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Hayden Bauder
Elmwood-Murdock High School, Manuel Camina, Teacher
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| Isabelle Reichman
South Platte High School, Katherine Einspahr-Sylvester, Teacher
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Jacob Feuerbach
Creighton Preparatory School, Gwen Fisher, Teacher
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Klayton Rinne
ESU5 – Dundy County Stratton High School, Kelly Garcia, Teacher
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| Sydney Porter
Wisner-Pilger Junior Senior High School, Lia Raabe, Teacher
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Tate Pruess
ESU5 – Tekamah-Herman High School, Joseba Moreno González, Teacher
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SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING – Middle School |
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| Esperanza Diego
Elmwood Murdock Jr and Sr High, Evelyn Recinos-Mendez, Teacher
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SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING – Elementary School |
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| Ella Story
Richland Elementary School Dual Language, Manuel Camina, Teacher
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Public Information Officer, Nebraska Department of Education
402-471-4537
david.jespersen@nebraska.gov
@NDE_News