Sophomores Valentina Macias and Emilio Houghton and junior Isabella Fuentes are the first three students at Albuquerque Academy to earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy, a language certification recognizing their fluency in English and Spanish and a valuable credential students can include in college and scholarship applications and resumés.
To achieve this recognition, they took the AVANT STAMP 4S assessment, which measures reading, writing, listening, and speaking using proficiency levels aligned with American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages standards, in May 2026.
“Last year, Albuquerque Academy expanded the Heritage Spanish Program to grades 8 and 9, offering students with strong Spanish skills an immersive experience taught entirely in Spanish,” says World Languages Department Chair Victoria Costa. The new course, Viva el Español: Culture, Art, and Language, paved the way for offering students the chance to earn a Global Seal.
All three are continuing their studies with AP Spanish Language.
