The New York State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have studied and attained a high proficiency in English and another second language by high school graduation. This allows students to celebrate a love for languages and cultural diversity. Students selected a topic of their choice to research connecting to the second language.  As part of their research, they identified past, present, and future components of their chosen topic to discuss. The BHS Department of World Languages is pleased to acknowledge the following graduating seniors for earning their New York State Seal of Biliteracy in 2024:

Jason Kleehammer (Spanish) - The Disparity of Heathcare for Hispanic Women in the United States, Karina Kozlyuk (double seal in Spanish and Ukrainian) - Formula 1 Racing, The Country of Ukraine, Ally Fien (Spanish) -  Hispanic Musicians and their Influence on Culture, Chris Guthrie (French) - Soccer in France

Sophia Visconte (Spanish) - Tennis, The importance of a sport, Javier Benzan (Spanish) - The Influence of Government and Immigration in Spanish Speaking Countries

Sarah Tantalo (Spanish) - Education in Peru, John Galbreth (French) - Religion in France, Prophecy Wood (French) - Workers' Rights in France, Olivia Allen (French) - French Pharmaceuticals 

Mrs Bahantka- Spanish Teacher, Seal of Biliteracy Coordinator, Elizabeth Kuhlkin (Spanish) - The Influence of Hispanic Literature, Mrs Qadiri- French Teacher, Ukrainian Seal Mentor 

Diego Arellano Jasso (Spanish) - The United States of Mexico, Tess Neilans (French) - French Gastronomy

Dalia Angel (Spanish) - The Country of Mexico 

Senior Olivia Allen focused her presentation on the pharmaceutical industry in France and the shortages/insufficient alternatives available on the French market. She began studying French in 6th grade and gravitated towards this topic as she is going into the medical field.

Senior Dalia Angel had a personal connection to her research and chose the Country of Mexico because she grew up in a Hispanic household with Spanish as her first language. In her project, she spoke about culture, heritage, religion, and traditions that intertwine with each other, such as the Day of the Dead, which commemorates family members who have passed with their favorite drinks and food. She encourages underclassmen in World Languages to seek and study for the Seal of Biliteracy as it is a difficult but rewarding process.

Senior Karina Kozlyuk chose to pursue a double seal with Spanish and Ukrainian. For Spanish, she focused on Spanish influence on Formula 1 and her second set of research focused on Ukrainian attractions, food and history. Her preparation was heavily Spanish focused as she is more confident in Ukrainian. Her favorite part of this experience was having her hard work pay off for both languages, while learning new things about her Ukrainian heritage and bettering her knowledge to use in her career and throughout life.