There are three world language courses at the high school: Spanish, Chinese, and French. Among those courses, only one had an Honors Society. Spanish Honors Society was the only club for honors language students. In these clubs, students have the ability to take a deeper dive into the culture and language with classmates who have a common interest.
“I was in my French 3/4 class and my teacher and I were talking in class about Spanish Honors Society,” French Honors Society president and senior Annalisa Renghini said. “I discovered that no one had tried to make a French Honors Society before. So all of junior year I went through the whole process of making the honors society.”
When creating the French Honors Society, Renghini discovered how difficult it was to create a club. She had to take the initiative to expand the program, and it was difficult for her to keep going when everything seemed more difficult than face value. Although it was only her junior year, this experience made Renghini realize that she would have to mature to keep the club afloat.
One year into the club’s development, the French Honors Society has around 12 members. Compared to the Spanish Honors Society, the community is much smaller so there is more work that has to be done for the community to grow.
“We have a relatively low enrollment,” French teacher Madame Kostova said. “I think having multiple levels of classes in the program can help us grow with the different experiences and love French.”
Currently, being a student of sufficient grades and enrollment in French courses 2-4 are the requirements to be in the club. They meet once a month and get to delve further into their passion for the language. Over the course of their meetings so far, they have made French cuisine, played games, and practiced French on a higher level than they normally would in class. Since the program is so small, the students who attend genuinely have a passion for French and want to improve the program.
“Even though Spanish is very popular, French is still a very useful language,” French teacher Caroline Bachour said,” For students like Renghini, opportunities like the French Honors Society are great because colleges and businesses want to see leadership roles and extracurricular involvement.”
Although it is small, involving yourself in, and even creating a program like the French Honors Society can set a path towards your future. Since creating the Honors Society, Renghini has happily added the credit to her college applications and credentials. If students like Renghini had not taken the chance to be leaders, they may not have pathed such a bright future for themselves down the road.
