This article was written by Katherine Quesada, class of 2018.
Traveling through the historically rich landscapes of Peru sounds like a dream, and for junior Kamryn Washington, one that will come true. Washington received a $3,500 scholarship to practice her linguistic skills in Peru through the National Spanish Exam immersion program.
The application required her National Spanish Exam scores from the 2016 and 2017 exams, two letters of recommendation, an essay, a list of her extracurricular activities and a five minute video of her demonstrating her Spanish language skills.
Washington has yet to travel south of the border and is excited for her new adventure. “I’m really excited. I love to travel,” Washington said. “I’m also really excited to study Spanish; I have always loved the language.”
Through Facebook and a group chat, Washington has already met 22 of the 23 other scholarship recipients. The participants will all travel to Peru Jun. 20-28, free of cost.
Washington has been immersed in Spanish since she was six years old. Although she comes from a non-Latino background, her mother made it a priority for her daughter to learn the Spanish language. “My mom signed me up for a summer Spanish camp when I was six,” Washington said. She has continued studying the language ever since, even competing in middle school Spanish poetry competitions.
“One day, I would like to become fluent in Spanish, whether that’s through a gap year after senior year, minoring in Spanish in college or through a study abroad program,” Washington said.
Washington practices speaking Spanish with her Cuban neighbors and has enrolled in AP Spanish Language and Culture for this coming school year. Wherever life leads her, she intends to bring Spanish along.
