Three Lynbrook students make linguistic history

Lynbrook High School seniors Jennireth Tomayo, Tania Ramirez and Mariam Caraza were recently awarded the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, making them the first Lynbrook students to receive the honor.

According to the state Department of Education, the NYSSB “recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages, in addition to English.”

Madelyn Torres, who chairs the Lynbrook School District’s English as a New Language department, explained that the seal is a distinguishing factor for college and job applicants and an important way to honor the meaningful skill of bilingualism. “In a world that’s constantly changing, evolving and becoming more diverse, in not only our district but the world as a whole, it is so important to be able to communicate with others,” Torres said. “When we widen our understanding of each other’s backgrounds, we can grow to have greater appreciation and respect for everyone.”

Torres said that when she became a Lynbrook teacher in 2004, the ENL curriculum was a “pull-out” model, meaning that ENL students did not receive any instruction in general education classes. Now, she said, the curriculum is “much more personalized to each individual student’s needs,” and contains a mix of ENL-specific and general education courses. There are currently about 70 ENL students in the district.

The growth of the program was what enabled Torres and her students to apply for the seal for the first time in Lynbrook history. She contacted a representative of the Education Department in September, and they corresponded throughout the school year. Then the three candidates completed a series of requirements: scoring 80 or higher on the state’s English Language Arts Regents exam, completing all 11th- and 12th-grade ELA courses with an average of 85 or higher, and finally, presenting a culminating project to a panel of reviewers.

The presentations were evaluated on May 13 by a Seal of Biliteracy Committee: ENL teacher Karen Smith, Spanish teacher William Luzzi, guidance counselor Jonathan Spector, LHS Principal Joseph Rainis, Assistant Principal Salvatore Brescia and Superintendent Melissa Burak. At the Senior Awards ceremony on May 25, the girls were presented with the seal.

Jennireth Tomayo

Tomayo, who was born and raised in Venezuela, moved to Lynbrook in 2017, after finishing eighth grade in Brentwood. She explained that it was extremely difficult to adapt to both American culture and the English language after uprooting her life in her native country. “I missed my country, my family, my friends and everything was different,” she said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘There’s always new challenges coming,’ and I learned with time.”

For her NYSSB presentation, Tomayo researched the differences between education in Venezuela and the U.S. She explained that “not that many people know what it’s like outside of their country,.”

Tomayo shared her experiences of attending school in Venezuela. Fortunately, she was able to attend private school, but for those who can’t afford that, public school is the dreaded, and only, option: The walls are covered in graffiti, the supplies are abysmal and the level of education is far below anything in America. So, she said, she was thankful for the opportunities she’s had given in Lynbrook, and she hoped to pursue a career in teaching.

Tomayo further explained that the Venezuelan government is to blame for the widespread poverty in the country. “The salary is about a dollar per month, but the price for food is the same as it is here, so nobody can buy anything,” she said.

Tania Ramirez

Ramirez grew up in the countryside of El Salvador, and moved to Lynbrook in 2016 after completing middle school in Hempstead. In El Salvador, she lived in her aunt’s house because her mother’s house was over an hour away from the nearest school. She explained that the English education in El Salvador was minimal, so her move to the U.S., and an unfamiliar culture, was frightening.

As a young woman coming of age and simultaneously moving to a new continent, Ramirez said she has often reflected on the differences between her native country and the U.S. So she chose to focus her NYSSB presentation on the contrast between adolescence in the two countries.

“When I came here, I heard many stories about my classmates’ childhoods, and I realized how different they were from mine,” she said. “Latin American parents are really strict due to circumstances that they can’t control, like the country’s security, and I think that not many people in America realize Latin American children grow up with little to no freedom because of that.”

Ramirez is vice president of the Lynbrook High Culture Club and a member of the National Art Honor Society. After graduation, she plans to attend college and pursue a career in illustration and design. “When I was living in El Salvador, I never thought that I would be able to go to college since it was too far away, and we really didn’t have the resources,” she said. “I now have the opportunity to go and to study what I like, and I want to be able to keep creating art.”

Mariam Caraza

Caraza moved to Lynbrook in 2017 from her home in Peru, where she said she enjoyed spending time with her family, playing sports and creating art. She was excited to move to America, she said, because it was “a big step toward achieving my educational goals,” though she was also sad to leave her family.

Unlike Tomayo and Ramirez, Caraza found that learning English wasn’t as difficult as she had imagined, and that adapting to the culture was an easy transition. She is now a high-achieving student in her classes and a member of the LHS varsity volleyball and soccer teams. “I am proud of everything I have accomplished so far, and so appreciative of my family for motivating me every day to continue with my goals,” Caraza said. “In addition, I’m grateful to the teachers at LHS for all of their help and support.”

She focused her NYSSB presentation on the differences between festivals in Peru and those in the U.S., and on the benefits of immigration for the U.S. economy. After graduation, Caraza will attend SUNY Old Westbury and study criminology. “I strive to become a professional in my field,” she said, “and my goal is to work in what I love the most.”

A.P. history teacher Stephen LoCicero, who had all three honorees in his classes, presented each of them with a rose on the day of their presentations. “It has been a pleasure watching each of these young ladies grow as people and English language speakers over the last three years,” LoCicero said.

English as a New Language teacher Karen Smith began working with the students when she joined the Lynbrook School District in 2018. “These students inspire me every single day with their courage and their willingness to share their stories and experiences,” she said. “I could not ask for three more hardworking young women to be the very first Lynbrook students to receive the Seal of Biliteracy.”