F-M junior earns national Spanish travel award

A Fayetteville-Manlius High School student has been named a 2018 Junior Study Abroad Scholar for his achievement on the National Spanish Examination (NSE).

One of only 24 students to receive the national award, junior Nicolas Gascon will travel to Spain this summer where he will study the Spanish language and culture for two weeks at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

While attending the university, Nicolas will each day attend morning classes and an afternoon trip.

“The two-week immersion program is designed to allow our top students to study university-level material, and then go on an excursion to see first-hand what they’ve learned about in class,” said Director of the National Spanish Examinations Mr. Kevin Cessna-Buscemi.

To be considered for the travel award, students must be a high school junior, have received medal placement on the Level II National Spanish Examination by scoring at or above the 75th percentile, be registered to take the Level III National Spanish Examination, and agree to study Spanish during their high school senior year.

The award includes round-trip transportation from New York to Spain, guided excursions, and university tuition to cover the costs of classes, residence hall lodging, and meals.

The NSE is a program of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) and is committed to recognizing student achievement and promoting language proficiency in the study of Spanish, according to the NSE website.