During Tuesday’s Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, a total of 27 junior and senior students from Pitman High, Turlock High and Roselawn High schools were honored for earning the Stanislaus County Office of Education Seal of Multi-Lingual Proficiency.

The Seal is a verification of linguistic proficiency in English and at least one other world language. The Seal will be affixed to students diplomas and transcripts.

Kea Willett, TUSD Director of Professional Development and English Learner Programs, says this year’s group of students is of special significance because they were born in 1997 or 1998, a time when Prop 277- English Language in Public Schools was passed.

“It was climate when people thought English was one language and it was enough for everyone,” she said. “What makes these students remarkable is they are absolutely proficient in English and they have a second language.”

Willett thanked parents and the school district for fostering an atmosphere of change in the philosophy that “more is better than one.”

Of special note, while nearly all of the students earned the Spanish language seal, only one received any other language. Eilen Shahbaz, a Turlock High senior, received her seal in Assyrian, as well as Farsi (Persian). Perhaps “more than one” student will specialize in other languages in coming years, especially at Turlock High where Japanese, German, and Portuguese are also available for students.

2104 Seal of Multi-Lingual Proficiency Recipients

Student School Grade Language

Marin Acosta                   THS        11        Spanish
Anabel Alvarez                PHS        11        Spanish
Monserrath Arreola         THS        12        Spanish
Erandy Ascencio             THS        12        Spanish
Fallon Beaber                 THS        12        Spanish
Jacklyn Bedoy                 THS        12        Spanish
Maria Cardenas Palomo RHS        12        Spanish
Isabel Chavez                 THS        12        Spanish
Emily Covarrubias           THS        11        Spanish
Tanner Day                     PHS        11        Spanish
Cruz De La Torre            PHS        11        Spanish
Esmeralda Farias           THS         12        Spanish
Lizeth Garcia                  THS         11        Spanish
Sarah Garcia                  THS         12        Spanish
Yarely Mendoza Lopez   THS        12        Spanish
Briana Padilla                  THS        12        Spanish
Chantel Perez                 THS        11        Spanish
Deysi Ramirez                 THS       12        Spanish
Yajaira Ramriez              THS        12       Spanish
Jose Real                        PHS        12       Spanish
Stephanie Salas              THS        12       Spanish
Eilen Shahbaz                 THS        12       Assyrian, Farsi (Persian)
Elena Velazquez             THS        11       Spanish
Katherine Willett              PHS        11       Spanish
Vanessa Yepez               PHS        12       Spanish
Monserrat Zavala            PHS        11      Spanish
April Zitkovich                  PHS        12      Spanish