Moorestown High School Junior Earns Summer Trip To Spain

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A Moorestown High School junior has captured a national award that will allow him to spend 10 days studying in Spain this summer.

Luciano Gonzalez, who was born and raised in Argentina, won the 2018 Junior Study Abroad Scholarship for his achievement on the National Spanish Examination and for his excellent skills in the Spanish language.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Gonzalez, who will travel to Spain with the other 23 winners to study Spanish language and culture at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in July. “It’s exciting knowing that I’ll be going to Spain for 10 days.”

This national award, worth over $3,500, is given each year to 24 students from across the United States who become eligible by earning a high scores on the National Spanish Examination and then submitting samples of their written and oral work in Spanish to a selection committee.

Gonzalez earned a 97 percent o the exam. In applying to the committee, he had to answer 20 questions about what he would do in Spain and why he wants to go.

"I would ask them about their life, what they do for fun and what they do when they go out," said Gonzalez, who noted you must speak in Spanish the whole time.

He is surrounded by people who speak Spanish, as he and his family lived in Argentina until he was 13 years old. He has been living in America for five years.

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

Gonzalez looks forward to the opportunity to learn, but it’s what comes after class that he truly anticipates. He looks forward to seeing the cathedrals and older structures in Spain, as he is passionate about architecture. He also looks forward to going to the museums and viewing the paintings.

As part of the application process, Gonzalez also had to list his interests, which include his involvement in the Spanish Club, Orchestra and Garden Club, as well as playing football.

Moorestown High School, which has a long history of excellence in academics, has participated in the National Spanish Examination for the last four years, according to the school.

“Congratulations to student Luciano Gonzalez and his Spanish teacher, Lisa Trapani, who should be very proud of her accomplishments,” the school said in a release.

“Luciano is a good student who loves to learn. He often shares his experiences from his native country, Argentina, in Spanish class. Having a native speaker in class is always a benefit to the entire class,” Trapani said. “I think that Luciano will take advantage of every opportunity that he has during this trip because he values the opportunity that his education in the Moorestown School district has afforded him.”

The attached image of Luciano Gonzalez was provided.