Students Place in Regional Japanese Competition

Students from schools across the region competed in one of five Japanese speech levels — Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Plus and Heritage — while students new to the language or not currently enrolled in Japanese participated in the poster contest.

Upper St. Clair students captured all three top spots in the poster category:

Poster Category:

• 1st place: Vedant Naik, grade 11
• 2nd place: Annalee Sparico, grade 12
• 3rd place: Nuoxi Liang, grade 12

In addition, Gabriel Gracie, grade 10, earned 3rd place in the Beginner Speech Category.

This year’s contest theme, “Japanese Festivals,” encouraged students to explore and present elements of traditional Japanese culture while demonstrating their language skills and creativity.

Beyond the competition, students had the opportunity to explore the museum, participate in cultural activities and connect with peers from other schools who share an interest in Japanese language and culture.

Other Upper St. Clair High School participants included sophomore Feyza Acay in the Poster Category and senior Chihiro Brentzel in the Advanced Speech Category. The students are taught by Chie Ramsey, Upper St. Clair High School world language teacher.

“We are incredibly proud of all our students for their hard work, dedication, and courage in competing,” Ms. Ramsey said. “Their commitment to learning Japanese and embracing new challenges makes them all winners!”

The annual event is jointly hosted by the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center, and the Carnegie Museum of Art.