As the school year ends, Ripon High is giving out various awards, including a special one for seniors who excel in Spanish. This award goes to students who have taken Spanish for all four years of high school and kept a B average or higher. The award celebrates their hard work and dedication to learning a second language, which is really important in today’s society. It was not a very easy achievement for these seniors to get, however.

One of the very few that got this award, senior Devin Fitzpatrick, states, “My second year was a little harder, just because I was trying to adjust after COVID and all that and yeah, learning a language online was not the most optimal thing to be put in a circumstance.”

Even with that difficult year, students persevered and found their way of working past it. “My experience with Spanish has been very good. Of course, there’s been certain things that have been more rough to understand, because it’s a different language, but I think it’s helped me overall,” says Fitzpatrick.

The students who receive this award are very good at reading, writing, and speaking in Spanish. Their commitment to this language and culture shows a deep understanding and appreciation of foreign countries. Knowing a second language can open many doors for personal and or professional growth makes this award much more meaningful to the students here at Ripon High.