La Jolla Teen Ranks Nationally in French Contest

For many, the thought of mastering a second language is daunting. But for one local high school student, the hard work that he put into learning French has paid off in a big way.

Name: Inigo Sanchez
Age: 17
School: Francis Parker School
Accomplishment: Placed fourth in the national French Contest, Le Grand Concours
Key to Awesomeness: When Inigo Sanchez began his studies in French II Honors, his instructor, Irina Dorfman, feared that his shy-guy qualities might hinder his success in the class.

“He is very quiet and reserved,” Dorfman said. “In my class I want to see students be very active, and to read and translate and write. It was not an easy adjustment for him.”

Now, as the school year draws to a close, Sanchez has gone from underdog to victor. He placed second regionally and fourth nationally in the annual Le Grand Concours French contest.

“When I finished the test, I had a feeling I had done well, but I didn't know I had done as good as fourth place nationally,” Sanchez said. “I felt really surprised and relieved because I was very nervous and wanted to know my score.”

Le Grand Concours is given each year by the American Association of Teachers of French. Over 100,000 students from across the country participated in the 2011 exam after preparing throughout the entire school year. This year, 25 students from the Francis Parker School earned regional and national recognition for their test scores.

“We worked for this exam, and this is a big deal,” Dorfman said.

She also acknowledged Sanchez’s hard work throughout the year.

“He was very persistent, and he really wanted to succeed,” she said. “He always came to me with questions and showed me that he understood. When I said I had the results he was more stressed than when he tried to take the exam.”

In addition to the prestigious title on his resume and college applications, Sanchez will receive recognition and a bronze medal at an honors ceremony at the Francis Parker School on June 17. His name and picture will also be published in the American Association of Teachers of French’s National Bulletin.

Although he admits that preparing for the exam was never easy, Sanchez is happy that his hard work paid off. With the goal of pursuing a career in international business, he believes the language will also help him in the future.

“It is important to learn many languages, because it expands your knowledge and ways of seeing and interpreting things,” Sanchez said. “French is one of the most common and important languages and to know it is a very good tool.”