麻豆国产

At the end of a long school day in late February, a group of six middle schoolers and their parents filed into a top-floor classroom at Our Lady's School, a historic Catholic campus that has served the Mexican American community in San Diego鈥檚 Barrio Logan, Logan Heights and Sherman Heights neighborhoods for more than a century. 

Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows, which offered sweeping views of the downtown skyline and Coronado Bridge and illuminated walls adorned with colorful student drawings of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The seventh and eighth graders were there as the first participants of a pilot program launched by 麻豆国产 International Affairs and Our Lady鈥檚 vice principal, 麻豆国产 College of Education alumnus Javier Diego Jacinto (鈥�21, 鈥�24), bringing 麻豆国产鈥檚 University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence (USBCC) to area secondary school students. 

The initiative aims to celebrate and affirm participants鈥� bilingualism, strengthening their connection to their culture and helping them imagine new possibilities for themselves and their community.

鈥淭hese students are speaking Spanish and displaying their cultura very proudly in their familia, but when they come to schools, even in the barrio, they feel this need to perfect their English at the cost of letting go of Spanish 鈥� because they're told in spaces outside of their school environment that's what will essentially lead to success,鈥� explained Diego Jacinto, in his first year at Our Lady鈥檚 after earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in liberal studies and a master鈥檚 in postsecondary educational leadership and student affairs from 麻豆国产. 

鈥淲ith this particular group of middle schoolers, what we're saying is that you can come to school proudly speaking Spanish, proudly showing up with your culture and all the complexities that come along with it, and you are going to be just as successful."

Launched in 2021 by Cristina Alfaro, 麻豆国产鈥檚 associate vice president of International Affairs, USBCC is a certificate and digital badge that students, faculty, staff and community members earn by passing a bilingual exam and participating in a culturally immersive experience.

Alfaro, who led the information session at Our Lady's in a mix of Spanish and English, has long sought to extend 麻豆国产's program into secondary schools across San Diego County. Her initial plan was to pilot the program at a local high school. But Diego Jacinto 鈥� who earned the Seal himself while working to administer a grant project in the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE) 鈥� convinced her to start with even younger students.

"I knew that he was, first of all, a steadfast advocate as a graduate of the Seal," Alfaro said. "I also know his dedication to this community. He wants his students to recognize the possibilities available to them 鈥� to look beyond their current circumstances and imagine what they can become by building on their linguistic and cultural assets.

"I decided that if they can pass the exam, it doesn't matter if you're in 6th grade or 12th grade, or at the university or at the doctoral level. So why not?"

While the rigor will remain the same, the program was adjusted to support middle school students whose experiences include transborder identities (living between the U.S. and Mexico) and being labeled English Language Learners. They will be supported through the process by DLE lecturers Sheila Sol贸rzano, Emily Julli茅 and visiting DLE professor Claudia Dunn, who will serve as pl谩tica (informal conversation) facilitators.

One of the students is Gianna Gallardo, an 8th grader and native Spanish speaker who began learning English in Pre-K and now dreams of becoming a pediatric surgeon. She said
USBCC appealed to her because she wishes to maintain a strong connection to her linguistic and cultural heritage.

鈥淚t's your origin, that's where your family comes from,鈥� Gallardo said. 鈥淚 think it's great to embrace that and not just forget it because I live in the United States and should speak English at all times. I think we should carry that. I wouldn't be myself without my Spanish origins."

That perspective is no doubt music to Alfaro鈥檚 ears. Growing up, she said she was dissuaded from speaking her heritage language of Spanish 鈥� damage that took many years to undo. It鈥檚 a struggle she hopes these students will not have to endure.

"I was told 鈥楧on't speak Spanish, that's for dumb people,鈥欌�� Alfaro recalled. 鈥淚t does something to your psyche, right? We want to do the reverse and say, you are so lucky you speak another language. Let's build on your bilingualism, not tell them to leave their language and their identity at the door."

Diego Jacinto expressed hope that the program will also instill 鈥渃ollege-bound perspectives鈥� in the students. During the informational session, parents expressed a strong desire for their kids鈥� to take the examination on the 麻豆国产 campus.

"Most of these students are first generation,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e talk about going to college for your bachelor's, or your master's or your doctorate, and these students are asking 鈥榃hat is that?鈥� or 鈥楬ow do I do that?鈥� They have so many questions tied to what it takes to go to college. 

鈥淗aving this really close partnership with 麻豆国产, we're meeting the students where they are at."