EMS Students Stand Out on Nation’s Most Competitive Language Exams

Once again, our seventh- and eighth-grade students have distinguished themselves on two of the most respected language assessments in the country — the National Spanish Exam and the National Latin Exam. These competitions give students the chance to demonstrate their skills alongside peers from across the nation, and the recognition they’ve earned speaks to both their hard work and the strength of EMS’s language program.

Congratulations to every student who participated this year. Their dedication to language learning — and their willingness to rise to a challenge — is something worth celebrating.

National Spanish Exam 

Established in 1957, the National Spanish Exam (NSE) is an annual online assessment administered to students in grades 6–12. One of the most widely taken academic competitions in the United States, it measures students’ proficiency in vocabulary, grammar, and real-world communication, including reading and listening comprehension. In 2026, more than 90,000 students across the country took part.

EMS seventh- and eighth-grade Spanish students competed across two academic levels — 01 and 1 — and in three experience categories: Classroom Experience, Outside Experience, and Bilingual, the latter recognizing students who have developed their Spanish through personal and family connections to the language. EMS students have brought home honors from this exam every year since 2007, and the Class of 2027 and 2026 kept that tradition very much alive.

Grade 7, Level 01: Classroom Experience Category                

Medalla de oro (Gold) 

Nathan B. ’27

Nicholas C. ’27

Marcus C. ’27

Kabir R. ’27

Elina Y .’27

Samuel Y .’27

Medalla de plata (Silver)

Jasmine G-M. ’27

Robert H. ’27

Luna O. ’27

Angelina P. ’27

Nathan P. ’27

Avram S. ’27

Medalla de bronce (Bronze) 

Saro A. ’27

Ely A. ’27

Matthew G. ’27

Varsha G. ’27

Bernardo G-G. ’27 (Bilingual Category)

Charlotte K. ’27

Conor R. ’27

Raven T. ’27

Mención honorífica (Honorable Mention) 

Hope B. ’27

Camellia G. ’27

Jeremiah L. ’27

Min P .’27

Ari S. ’27

Grade 8, Level 1: Classroom Experience Category

Medalla de plata (Silver)

Sydney A. ’26

Caila H. ’26

Arabelle S. ’26

Liliana V. ’26

Medalla de bronce (Bronze)

Robbie P. ’26

Scarlett S. ’26

Zoe S. ’26 (Outside Experience Category)

Mención honorífica (Honorable Mention)

Vigyan H. ’26

Lia M-D. ’26

Mason R. ’26

Sienna V .’26

Marcus X. ’26

National Latin Exam

Sponsored by the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League, the National Latin Exam is a 40-question multiple-choice assessment designed to encourage the study of Latin and the ancient Roman world. It draws on Latin grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, Roman mythology and culture, etymology, history, and geography.

Seventh graders at EMS sat for the Introduction to Latin Exam, which builds foundational knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and culture. Eighth graders took the more demanding Beginning Latin Exam, which asks students to work with translation, analysis, and English word origins. The results below reflect the curiosity and intellectual commitment that EMS students bring to classical language study — and a genuine appreciation for what Latin continues to offer the modern world.

Grade 7: Introduction to Latin

Summa Cum Laude (Gold)

Raunav C. ’27 

Ethan Q. ’27 

Magna Cum Laude

Maggie E. ’27

Cum Laude 

Tony L. ’27