Shantall Beltran is the first student at Nashoba Tech to receive the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy.
Shantall, who graduates in June, plans on putting her proficiency in English and Spanish to work when she embarks on her road to becoming an immigration lawyer this fall at Suffolk University Law School.
“I grew up speaking both languages,” Shantall said. “I can communicate with many more people than I would be able to if I only spoke one language. It will definitely help me in law school, and I want to be an immigration attorney so it will help me there, too. It opens up a lot more opportunities.”
The State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes high-school students who attain high functional and academic levels of proficiency in English and a world language. It was established by former Gov. Charlie Baker in 2021. Students must demonstrate their proficiency in English by means of the English Language Arts portion of the MCAS.
To qualify for the seal, Shantall took a five-hour exam that tested her skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in Spanish. She scored a 7.67 of a possible 8.