Sierra Vista High School graduate Stephanie Wang received a $1,000 scholarship after earning first place in the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) student essay contest.
Stephanie Wang’s essay highlighted the trials and successes of navigating a new culture and language while staying rooted in her native background and language. Her essay touches on the feelings of not belonging and finding a family in English teacher Charlene Fried’s classroom.
“I learned to stop complaining, to accept my insecurities and doubts, and then I reached out to others around me to help them learn to accept themselves,” Wang said. “Together, we can all unite the world, and we can live in peace and harmony, without needing to judge others. This all starts with the power of our bilingual voices.”
Wang will start at Mt. San Antonio Community College and then transfer to UCLA. She plans to pursue accounting, and eventually wants to assist people with their taxes and financial counseling.
Wang presented her essay in English and Mandarin at the CABE Virtual Awards Ceremony, held in March. The theme for this year’s essay was “Stand up! Get up for Biliteracy and Multilingual Rights!”, with a focus on the many advantages of being bilingual/biliterate.
CABE is a nonprofit organization that advocates for equity in education and excellence for bilingual programs at the state level.
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BPUSD_SVHS_Wang: SVHS senior Stephanie Wang presents her award-winning essay during the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) Awards Ceremony.