Kearney School District is proud to recognize the Kearney High School students who have earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy for 2025, demonstrating impressive proficiency in English and a second language.

*Kearney High School students Abbi McQuillen (left) and Emily Stauffer earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy this year.*

The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to graduating high school students who exhibit high levels of academic proficiency in English and another world language, either through school study or as heritage/native speakers. This prestigious honor certifies to universities, employers, and community members that these students are fully bilingual, opening doors for their future education and careers.

“The Seal of Biliteracy is more than just an academic achievement,” KHS Foreign Language Teacher Stacey Getz said. “It highlights the hard work, cultural knowledge, and communication skills that these students have developed. It also reflects our district’s commitment to valuing diversity, preparing our students for success in a global economy, and honoring the many cultures that enrich our community.”

Students qualify for the Seal by demonstrating proficiency in English through performance on the English II End-of-Course exam or ACT reading score, and proficiency in another language by achieving minimum scores on a language proficiency exam. They must also complete a socio-cultural project, showing understanding of the relationship between language learning and cultural awareness.

The 2025 KHS Seal of Biliteracy honorees are:

Seal of Biliteracy – Abbi McQuillen (Spanish), Taryn Salinetro (Spanish), Emily Stauffer (Spanish) and Drew Wilson (Spanish)

Exemplary Proficiency – Dani Morgan (Spanish), Caroline Jury (Spanish), Josephine Quick (Spanish), Vanesa Tiscareno (Spanish) and Grace Thurston (Spanish)

Emerging Proficiency – Avery Janiak (Spanish), Joley Leach (Spanish), Carter Lydick (German) and Lily Rinehart (Spanish)

Developing Proficiency – Brodyn Baragary (German), Casey Collins (German), Charlie Dollar (Spanish), Connor Ethen (German), Patrick McNellis (German), Scout Pimblott (German), Savanah Jaromin (Spanish), Nova Roberts (German), Katelyn Robinson (Spanish), Katie Shaw (Spanish), Makayla Tryon (German), John Vasquez (German) and Challen Tidwell (German)

Visit www.ksdr1.net/seal-of-biliteracy for more information about the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy program.

KPGZ News – Ray Weikal contributed to this story.