March 15, 2026
By Serenity Mendoza
Staff Writer
Sixty-eight seniors proved their bilingual proficiency this year, earning the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy in 13 languages and surpassing last year’s record of 55.
The seal, which New Jersey has offered since 2016, appears on seniors’ transcripts and diplomas, recognizing their proficiency in English and at least one other language.
Certification tests, which took place from Jan. 5-Feb. 4 in the media center, were coordinated by Spanish teacher Señora Rojas, who has overseen Seal of Biliteracy testing since 2018.
To earn the seal, students were required to achieve exceptional scores in four sections: listening, reading, speaking and writing. The tests ran all day, with two sections generally completed in the morning and the other two in the afternoon.
“It looks good on job applications and my resume, [and] I can communicate with a lot more people.”
With 81 students taking the test this year, Rojas said the greatest challenge she faced was coordinating each student’s testing schedule.
“I had to contend with students [who] were ill and students that were still away [after the holiday recess],” Rojas said. “We’ve had unusual circumstances where testing was administered via Zoom during inclement weather.”
Rojas said to ensure that all interested students had the chance to take the test, she had to book tests as early as 8 a.m. and well after the end of the school day.
While organizing the tests can be difficult, Rojas said offering students the chance to earn a Seal of Biliteracy is rewarding because it can strengthen students’ college applications, boost their chances of earning scholarships, help them earn college credit and lead to employment.
“Ultimately, these skills enhance students’ marketability in the workforce, given the growing demand for bilingual and multilingual professionals in the United States,” Rojas said.
She said her own knowledge of a second language, Spanish, has shaped her life.
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“I started school here in the U.S. when I was 5 years old. I was learning how to write in English and Spanish at the same time,” Rojas said. “I’m grateful that I retained my [Spanish language] skills. I’ve been able to use it not only in teaching, but in other professional sectors as well.”
Senior Joy Boinett, who earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Swahili, said her ability to communicate in the language has helped her connect with people.
“I was born in Kenya, and [Swahili is] a common language,” Boinett said. “Swahili and English are the main languages, [but] there are over 60 cultural languages.”
Boinett said her biliteracy may also prove useful when she pursues a career in the medical field.
“Not a lot of people speak Swahili in this country, but I might [treat a patient] who does,” Boinett said.
She said that although she grew up speaking Swahili, she still struggled with the test.
“I didn’t really prepare for the exam since I speak it at home…. I was a little bit too confident. When I got to the speaking section, I wished I had studied a little more,” Boinett said.
Senior Rabia Porne, who earned the Seal of Biliteracy in French and Spanish, said the French test was easier for her because she is a native French speaker whose family is from the Ivory Coast.
“I mostly practiced for the test by talking with my mom,” Porne said. “I’m taking Spanish-IV Honors this year, so I did most of my studying there.”
Porne said she is glad to be trilingual because it will help her when she becomes a civil engineer.“Since I know French and I already have a basic understanding [of] Spanish, I could use [those skills] anywhere. It looks good on job applications and my resume, [and] I can communicate with a lot more people,” said Porne.
