Congratulations to the 99 students who demonstrated their mastery of English and a world language by earning a Michigan Seal of Biliteracy! The Seal of Biliteracy celebrates students' heritage languages, world language studies, and home languages by recognizing those individuals who have high language proficiency in a language other than English.

The goal of the Seal is to celebrate culture and language proficiency and to prepare students for a global economy. Achieving the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy provides students with World Language credits at universities and is a certification they can share with future employers.

To apply or to ask questions about the program, contact staff members Sean Gordon at sean.gordon@detroitk12.org or Erica Lopez Negrete at erica.lopeznegrete@detroitk12.org.

Western International High School

• Frida Acevedo, Spanish
• Aziza Al-Shamiry, Arabic
• Erickson Barrientos-Torres, Spanish
• Bennito Bautista-Hernandez, Spanish
• Alondra Baxin-Velazquez, Spanish
• Rosa Bermejo, Spanish
• Stephanye Castillo, Spanish
• Iris Josary Castillo-Lopez, Spanish
• Kimberly Castro-Castillo, Spanish
• Ashley Chavez, Spanish
• Vanessa Contreras-Lara, Spanish
• Tania Escobar Rodriguez, Spanish
• Guadalupe Espitia-Jimenez, Spanish
• Lorena Garcia, Spanish
• Marcos Garcia, Spanish
• Ashley Gomez-Reyes, Spanish
• Jonathan Gonzalez-Ramos, Spanish
• Fatima Hernandez, Spanish
• Alexandro Juarez, Spanish
• Jeremias Lopez, Spanish
• Jocelyn Lopez, Spanish
• Nayellie Lopez, Spanish
• Brianna Luevanos, Spanish
• Alex Nava Solis, Spanish
• Yamilette Nolasco-Martinez, Spanish
• Vanessa Olivarez-Hernandez, Spanish
• Fatima Ramirez, Spanish
• Cristian Ruiz Morales, Spanish
• Vanessa Ruiz Morales, Spanish
• Hlaa Taher, Arabic
• Nelson Vasquez Rosales, Spanish
• Arizahy Vazquez-Perez, Spanish
• Melissa Vazquez-Villasenor, Spanish
• Jimmy Velasquez-Solis, Spanish
• Estefania Gonzalez, Spanish
• Evelyn Olivares, Spanish
• Madai Monrroy, Spanish
• Jose Ramirez, Spanish
• Edita Reyes-Diaz, Spanish
• Fatima Rodriguez. Spanish
• Yadira Cabrera, Spanish
• Mariana Arriaga, Spanish
• Yarely Orozco-Tapia, Spanish
• Perez, Yudith, Spanish

Academy of the Americas High School

• Yoana Arreaga-Bartolon, Spanish
• Mercedes Avilez, Spanish
• Jailine Ferrer Velez, Spanish
• Nathaly Fiallos, Spanish
• Hazel Gavidia Monterrosa, Spanish
• Odalis Lopez Borges, Spanish
• Christopher Lopez, Spanish
• Leyshmi Ramos Garcia, Spanish
• Jamileth Rivera Hernandez, Spanish
• Anderson Rodriguez Lopez, Spanish
• Sherlyn Verde, Spanish
• Ibsen Vergara, Spanish

Detroit School of the Arts

• Maria Eduarda-Brewer, Portuguese

Henry Ford High School

• Maildina Barrais, French
• Sanjidha Lasker, Bangla
• Isatou Marong, Wolof and French
• Djily Niag, French and Italian

Crockett-Midtown High School

• Akai Eashi, Sylheti
• Tahsin, Oporna, Sylheti
• Vanessa Ruiz-Hernandez, Spanish
• Emeka Shamcy, Sylheti

Detroit International Academy of Young Women

• Reya Ahmed, Sylheti
• Faiza Akther, Sylheti
• Shamme Begum, Sylheti

Cass Tech High School

• Steven Alonso, Spanish
• Victor Anaya-Diaz, Spanish
• Karla Argueta-Hernandez, Spanish
• Jacqueline Barajas, Spanish
• Tanya Calzada-Calzada, Spanish
• Estephany Campos, Spanish
• Ibrahima Diouf, Spanish
• Raphael Duval, French
• Zuarleni Garita, Spanish
• Kayla Guerrero, Spanish
• Citlali Guzman-Pena, Spanish
• Melissa Herrera-Ardon, Spanish
• Roselyn Jaramillo, Spanish
• Aracely Martinez-Ramirez, Spanish
• Cesar Maya, Spanish
• Jonathan Mendoza, Spanish
• Jennifer Molina, Spanish
• Monserrat Molina, Spanish
• Vivian Murillo-Villa, Spanish
• Jade Ortega, Spanish
• Laki Paul, Bangla
• Alejandro Perez-Zayas, Spanish
• Stephanie Rios, Spanish
• Aditi Roy, Bangla
• Lolbe Rubio, Spanish
• Yunuen Vargas, Spanish
• Harper Jackson, French
• Angeles Jasmin Samano-Lambaren, Spanish
• Amani Ali, Spanish
• Everardo Hernandez, Spanish
• Grace Johns, Spanish

Are you Interested in Earning a Seal of Biliteracy? Learn More Below!

The Seal encourages students to study world languages and embrace their native and heritage languages. The Seal also helps employers identify people with strong biliteracy skills, as well as serves as an additional tool for colleges and universities to recognize applicants' language abilities for admission and placement.

There are three ways for students to receive the seal:

• A learner from outside the U.S. who has had formal schooling and transcripts to show they completed the 6th grade year of instruction and meets high school graduation requirements
• Heritage speaker or multilingual learner who meets high school graduation requirements
• Classroom second language learner in IB/AP programming that shows strong language