The Impact of a Foreign Language by Rachel

The Impact of a Foreign Language by Rachel - May 2019 Scholarship Essay

The foreign language classes I took in high school remain an important part of my life. Without them, I never would have met my best friend, participated in a Spanish Spelling Bee, or come to know and love the Spanish language that I do today. Earlier this year, I drafted and submitted a proposal to my school district’s Board of Education, proposing an opportunity that would provide high school foreign language students with the application needed to comfortably use a second language outside of the classroom. Though my idea proved too difficult to implement when submitted, it did increase awareness of the lack of resources within the English Language Learner (ELL) program that the district directs and only encouraged me to strive to find a solution that would benefit students involved.

A few district elementary schools sponsor an ELL program for their younger students, as well as a Boys & Girls Club branch before and after school that many of the same students participate in. With a $10,000 grant, I would opt to invest in both programs. The Boys & Girls Club would be able to institute “scholarships” that allow participants to attend tuition-free for a school year, while the ELL program would be given the opportunity to invest in more educational tools and platforms to better assist its students.

Learning a language is challenging; however, with numerous resources and ways to apply the language, a student greatly improves. $10,000 would impact the ELL and Boys & Girls Club programs within my school district immensely. With the extra funding, all students would be able to experience the same positive impact that the foreign language classes I took had on me.