USCHS students earn top honors at Japanese contest
![Group photo of Japanese contest participants]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1741370234/uscsdk12paus/jmuuhps1sa5a3rcwshab/JapaneseContest.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1741370234/uscsdk12paus/jmuuhps1sa5a3rcwshab/JapaneseContest.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1741370234/uscsdk12paus/jmuuhps1sa5a3rcwshab/JapaneseContest.png","width":800}])
Upper St. Clair High School students earned first place in four of the six categories of the High School Japanese Speech Contest held Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland.
Students have the opportunity to compete in one of five Japanese speech levels, including Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Plus and Heritage. New and non-language students compete in the poster contest. Top finishers for Upper St. Clair include:
Poster Category
- 1st place: Varun Thangella, grade 11
- 2nd place: Shrey Kachhadiya, grade 9
- 3rd place: Eliot Kim, grade 9
Beginner Speech Category
- 1st place: Naum Vlahu, grade 10
- 2nd place: Ojasi Madhekar, grade 11
Intermediate Speech Category
- 1st place: Chihiro Brentzel, grade 11
Heritage Speech Category
- 1st place: Yuzuki Watanabe, grade 11
This year’s contest theme was "Japanese Songs," allowing students to explore and express their language skills through the rich world of Japanese music.
“We are incredibly proud of all our students for their hard work, dedication, and courage in competing,” Chie Ramsey, Upper St. Clair High School world language teacher, said. “Their commitment to learning Japanese and embracing new challenges makes them all winners!”
In total, 17 Upper St. Clair High School students participated in the Japanese contest, including the following:
- Poster Category: Michael Conte, Olivia Fuscaldo, Gabriel Gracie, Shrey Kachhadiya. Eliot Kim, Nanako Kusumoto, Julio Lopez and Varun Thangella
- Beginner Speech Category: Gulshoda Abdurakhmanova, Aidan Evans, Hudson Healy, Charles Jenkins, Ojasi Madhekar and Naum Vlahu
- Intermediate Speech Category: Chihiro Brentzel
- Advanced Speech Category: Ricky Crawford
- Heritage Speech Category: Yuzuki Watanabe (Pittsburgh Japanese School)
“In addition to showcasing their Japanese language skills, students had the opportunity to explore the museum, engage in cultural activities, and enjoy lunch with participants from other schools, including the Japanese exchange students we hosted last week,” Ms. Ramsey said.
The event was hosted by the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania (JASP), the University of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center, and the Carnegie Museum of Art.
- USCHS