Provided by the Pennsbury School District:
Ryan Stumbaugh, a junior at Pennsbury High School, has won the 2014 Junior Travel Award for his achievement on the National Spanish Examination and for his excellent skills in the Spanish language.
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Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, Director of the National Spanish Examinations, said: “This national award is quite prestigious for Pennsbury High School. It is valued at over $3,000, and is only awarded to sixteen students from across the United States from among the 160,000 students who take the exam each year.”
Students become eligible by earning high scores on the National Spanish Examination during their sophomore years. Ryan earned a silver medal last year and then submitted a written essay in Spanish as well as an interview in the target language with his current AP Spanish teacher, Philip Wert. These samples were then sent to a selection committee appointed by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Applicants must also agree to take a Spanish language course during their senior year. Pennsbury’s recent approval of a Spanish Literature and Conversation course for 2014-2015 allowed Ryan to meet the criteria for the award and to have this incredible opportunity to travel and represent his school. In July, Ryan will be traveling to Spain with the other 15 winners.
“I am proud and excited for Ryan, as I know he has a passion for Spanish and I am always thrilled to see my students take their language skills from the classroom and use them to explore new horizons.” said Mr. Wert. Señor Wert was able to break the news to Ryan in front of his current AP class, who threw him an impromptu “fiesta de celebración.”
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In addition to Mr. Wert, Ryan has also been taught by Pennsbury Spanish teachers Harry Padilla and Aaron Dringus.
