Montclair Public Schools proudly announces that 49 high school seniors from the Class of 2025 have earned the prestigious New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing their high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional language. This marks an increase from the Class of 2024 and reflects the district’s growing commitment to multilingual education.
The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy, established by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), honors students who demonstrate proficiency at the Intermediate Mid-level or higher in a world language, as well as meeting graduation requirements in English Language Arts. This year, students demonstrated proficiency in seven different languages: French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish. This was 23 more students and four more languages than the 2024 Seal of Biliteracy.
This is the Montclair Public Schools’ sixth year participating in the program. During the 2025 Seal of Biliteracy Recognition Luncheon, led by Office of K-12 Bilingual/ESL/World Languages Supervisor, Yasmin E. Hernández-Manno, awards were presented to the students to solidify their achievement. MHS World Language teachers and high school administrators, particularly Elizabeth Marflak, Vice Principal of World Languages were also acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to ensuring the importance of preparing students to become Bilingual.
“This remarkable achievement is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our students, as well as the commitment of our teachers, world language instructors, and support staff,” said Interim Superintendent Damen G. Cooper. “These 49 seniors represent the cultural and linguistic richness of our district and the world, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishment. This is the Montclair High School we proudly speak about all the time.”
Montclair High School Principal Mr. Jeffrey Freeman echoed that sentiment, noting, “We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our students who earned this seal. This accomplishment reflects not only their hard work, but also the tireless efforts of our educators who provide rigorous language instruction to prepare them for the next level.”
The Seal of Biliteracy is a nationally recognized credential that attests to each recipient’s unwavering dedication to proficiency and global citizenship. The Seal affirms that these high school seniors are prepared to utilize the language that they have acquired as they commence their post-secondary pursuits.
Mrs. Hernández-Manno emphasized the growth of the program: “We are proud that the number of students earning this honor has doubled and that our students are being recognized in more languages than ever before. This reflects our district’s strong focus on linguistic equity and cultural diversity.”
The Seal of Biliteracy prepares students for success beyond high school—whether in college, career, or the global workforce—by showcasing their ability to communicate in more than one language. Montclair Public Schools continues to encourage and support the study of world languages through innovative programming and dedicated instruction.
Recipients of the NJ Seal of Biliteracy will also receive an official certificate from the NJDOE, as well as a medallion to wear at graduation.
They will also be honored at the 2025 MHS Senior Awards Night.
2025 NJ SEAL OF BILITERACY RECIPIENTS
FRENCH
Ila Bhattacharjee
Willa Brooks-Lablanc
Nile Brunson
Julia M. Campos-Pereira
Mia H. Gurtman
Anais King
Ava T. Lane
Thomas W. Morel L’horset
Elinor K. Pittman
Leela B. Ramakrishnan
Eva A. Savio
Kiss J. Turner
Ella Woroniecki
GERMAN
Toren Anderson
Isabel Pierre
ITALIAN
Jacob Parker
Dacian Porutiu
Livia J. Ruth
POLISH
Jowita Pariaszewska
PORTUGUESE
Kimani Wittner-White
SPANISH
Ziyi S. Acuna
Josue Aguilar
Diego A. Aguirre
Aurora Auld
María Basinger
Isabella Canizares-Bidwa
Gabriel A. Carvajal
Isabella R. Chavarria Delgado
Leslie A. Cruz Mengo
Monica M. Griggs
Matthew D. Jalili
Kevin E. Keys
Sydney Kirschner
Julia H. Klein
Nora Koehlert
Maxwell Kumahor
Benjamin Marcus
Miranda Montalvo
Andrea M. Morazan
Rafael A. Pinzón Ortíz
Luan Quesada Urena
Estela Sanchez
Serena H. Satahoo-Riofrio
Zachary M. Singer
Olin M. Webb
Kimani Wittner-White
TURKISH
Ipek Aygen
Arda Gulveren
Emir Kesir
For more information on the New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy, visit:
www.nj.gov/education/standards/worldlang/sealofbiliteracy.shtml