PHS is proud to announce that a group of outstanding students has earned the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. This prestigious recognition is awarded to students who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional world language.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a nationally recognized achievement that celebrates the value of bilingualism and the diverse linguistic talents of students. Recipients of this honor showcase a deep academic commitment and gain a valuable credential for our increasingly global society.

This year’s recipients demonstrated fluency across French, Korean, and Spanish. Their accomplishments directly support Region 15’s ongoing mission to foster global citizenship and multicultural understanding among its students.

2026 Seal of Biliteracy Recipients by Language

French: Kennedy Bieluch, Ayla Feratovic, Lily Scozzafava, Marc Tran

Spanish and Korean (Dual Recipient): Jihyun An

Spanish: Mya Alarcon, Daniela Ardino, Caitlyn Bellesheim, Izabelle Bova, Rylen Brennan, Rebecca Buckley, Emilia Capellini, Riddhima Chaurasia, Caitlyn Cheng, Alexandra Ciccone, Sean Darragh, Sophia Davidson, Mikhaela De Los Angeles, Juliana Drago, Alana Pierce, Flint Erickson, Addison Evans, Naz Fajardo, Samantha Fig, Giada Floridia, Todd Gallino, Zain Ghrewati, Aimee Heck, Curran Hegde, Molly Hine, Oscar Jover, Allison Leonard, Valery Linstrum, Colton Lorensen, Elisha Lounsbury, Emelia Luis, Anthony Mahr, Lylah McGrath, Logan Merritt, Sohan Nelakudity, Cate Nespoli, Gabriel Panasci, Nandaniben Patel, Ramin Qurbani, Alyna Romero, Ryan Russell, Corinne Sartor, Molly Schneider, Maggie Seislove, Najla Shehu, Marina Turk, Bahar Uludag, Claire Yorns, Riley Weiss

Perspectives from the World Language Department

The school community celebrated the Seal of Biliteracy recipients during an awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 26th, where they were formally recognized for their exceptional achievement.

"From the first middle school world language classroom to high school, the incredible achievements reflect countless hours of student resilience, fueled by teachers who inspire us to look at the world with curiosity and communicate with purpose," shared PHS Spanish teacher and coordinator Dianna Regan.

"Language allows us to move beyond differences and discover common understanding. It gives students the ability to welcome others, to listen with empathy, foster respect and to form connections with people whose experiences may be different from their own. These students have learned that language is not simply vocabulary or grammar; it is empathy, compassion, and human connection,” Regan continued.

Photo Caption:

• Kneeling (L-R): Ramin Qurbani, Colton Lorensen, Riddhima Chaurasia, Alexandra Ciccone, Emelia Luis, Mya Alarcon, Caitlyn Cheng, Molly Hine, Alana Pierce, Aimee Heck, Marina Turk, Cate Nespoli
• Row 2 (L-R): Lylah McGrath, Izabelle Bova, Alyna Romero, Maggie Seislove, Rebecca Buckley, Logan Merritt, Naz Fajardo, Riley Weiss, Sohan Nelakudity, Jihyan An, Bahar Uludag, Samatha Fig, Allison Leonard, Nandaniben Patel, Emilia Capellini, Corrine Sartor, Sophia Davidson
• Back Row (L-R): Marc Tran, Flint Erickson, Ryan Russell, Zain Ghrewati, Elisha Lounsbury, Curran Hegde, Rylen Brennan, Molly Schneider, Kennedy Bieluch, Ayla Feratovic, Todd Gallino, Alana Drauss-McDaniel, Oscar Jover, Juliana Drago, Sean Darragh, Lily Scozzafava, Gabriel Panasci, Caitlyn Bellesheim
• Not Pictured: Daniela Ardino, Mikhaela De Los Angeles, Addison Evans, Giada Floridia, Valery Linstrum, Anthony Mahr, Najla Shehu, Claire Yorns