June 15, 2026
Seal of Biliteracy honors multilingual success at Bronx high schools
by Michelle Mullen
Seventeen high school seniors from the John F. Kennedy Campus earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy June 2, a distinction awarded to graduates who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one additional language.
The recipients, representing Marble Hill High School for International Studies, Bronx Theatre High School and Bronx School of Law and Finance, were recognized during a ceremony celebrating not only academic achievement, but also the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds that shaped their journeys.
The students are part of a growing number of multilingual learners being recognized across the city. Last school year, more than 2,500 students from 133 schools earned the seal of biliteracy, according to a New York City Public Schools spokesperson — a 29 percent increase in recipients and a 24 percent increase in participating schools compared with the prior school year.
The achievement is awarded to students who demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking in two languages. Earning the credential often requires students to complete extensive research projects and presentations, many of which draw from their own personal backgrounds. The process invites students to reflect on where they come from and who they are becoming.
For educators like Damaris Nunez, the recognition represents more than language proficiency. It reflects years of personal growth, cultural exploration and perseverance for students whose journeys often span multiple countries and languages.
“This is not just a presentation,” said Nunez, a world language teacher at Marble Hill High School for International Studies. “It’s a moment of reflection, just looking back and inside at who they are.”
At the June 2 ceremony, students explored topics ranging from family sacrifice to dance and cultural identity. Several presentations reflected on the challenges of adapting to a new country while maintaining connections to family traditions and home languages.
“We’ve had students give presentations about their families and what it means to help support them as children of immigrants,” she said. “It’s a big part of who they are as individuals.”
For Yoemy Perez, a senior at Marble Hill High School for International Studies, the honor represented years of effort after arriving in the United States from the Dominican Republic with limited English skills four years ago.
Perez, 17, examined the sacrifices families make in pursuit of opportunity. Her own parents immigrated to the United States about a decade ago, but she remained behind before eventually joining them years later.
“They thought I was coming with them, but that couldn’t be possible at the time, so they had to work hard, and for six years I couldn’t see them,” Perez said. “That was a really big sacrifice.”
When she arrived in the United States four years ago, she spoke little English, noting it was difficult learning a new language but she was up to the challenge. She credits the structure of the biliteracy program and the support of her teachers with helping her find her footing while holding onto the language and culture she brought with her.
“It makes me feel really proud of myself, because when I first came into this country, I didn’t know English at all,” she said. “So learning, earning this certificate, this seal makes me feel really proud of myself.”
Perez hopes to pursue a career in healthcare, where she expects her bilingualism will help her communicate with and care for patients from a range of backgrounds.
Other immigrant students, such as 17-year-old Haitian-Dominican Ayleen Alcala, explored questions of identity and culture in their presentations. Drawing on research from South America and the Caribbean, she examined the discrimination many people face because of their natural hair and the pressure to straighten it.
“Wearing an Afro or braids is an act of resistance,” Alcala said. “Reclaiming natural hair helps heal self-esteem.”
Alcala also reflected on learning to braid hair from her grandmother and the role those traditions play in maintaining a connection to family and culture.
Both Perez and Alcala kicked off their educational journey in the U.S. as English language learners, receiving specialized in-school support while learning English. During the 2024-25 school year, approximately 19 percent of students citywide were classified as English language learners, according to New York City Public Schools.
At Marble Hill High School for International Studies, Principal Kirsten Larson and Assistant Principal Abigail Mansfield have striven to support a language-rich environment that includes students from dozens of linguistic backgrounds. The educators said the school community speaks more than 25 languages and regularly participates in international exchanges and virtual collaborations with students around the world.
Dr. Jessica Goring, principal of Bronx School of Law and Finance, said the campus’ involvement with the seal of biliteracy began about six years ago after teacher Ana Sanchez discovered the program and recognized its potential for students.
“We didn’t start off with Spanish when we first added language classes, we started with Latin,” Goring said. “We went with something no one was fluent in, and we focused our high-level classes on pushing Spanish speakers forward.”
Sanchez, an Italian and English teacher, saw that many students in her Advanced Placement Spanish classes were already performing at a high level and deserved additional recognition, but noted the award carries different significance for different students.
“Half of the students who achieved this came into this country within the past few years,” Goring added. “So the achievement for them might not be in the Spanish, but in the English.”
The seal of biliteracy has also become a pathway to higher education opportunities. As of February 2025, 11 CUNY colleges offered between three and eight college credits to students who earned the distinction.
Marisol Manríquez-Weiner, an achievement instructional specialist for world languages with nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools who led the ceremony, said programs such as the seal of biliteracy are critical to help prepare students for careers in an increasingly interconnected world.
“Being able to communicate between different languages and cultures is more important than ever,” Manríquez-Weiner said. “Throughout this process, they have developed abilities that will help them build bridges between cultures and communities.”