Most students don’t receive recognition on Le Grand Concours.

That’s not the case at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Seventy-five percent of WMA’s students who take a French class at the Academy earned awards on Le Grand Concours 2022, also known as the National French Exam.

Topping the list were David Nguyen ’22 and Brady Gouin ’23 as both received silver medals on the Level 4 Exam. David placed 10^th nationally and Brady was 12^th.

WMA’s students were honored during School Meeting in early May.

Quotes

World Languages Department Chair Madame Dubois on teaching David: “I have greatly enjoyed having David as a student for the past two years. David is a thoughtful and insightful participant in class. He is always focused and engaged in our discussions on current events and global challenges, or on French literature and history. He has awesome language skills, especially listening and verbal skills. David was inducted last year into the French Honor Society for his excellence. I hope David continues French in college and beyond, as he is truly gifted in language learning.”

Madame on teaching Brady: “Because of his family's roots in Quebec, Brady is even more motivated to study French. He has done very well over the past two years and has gone from intermediate-level skills to advanced-level skills. His listening comprehension skills are especially impressive. Brady was also inducted into the French Honor Society last year for his great work. It has been a pleasure teaching Brady all these years, starting in middle school. He is always interested in what we do, whether it is about the history of colonialism, the history of Quebec, volunteerism, racism or reading a French classic, like ‘The Little Prince.’ I appreciate Brady's openness to learning, his work ethic, his engagement and consistency.”

Madame on how WMA performed overall on Le Grand Concours: “I didn't know what to expect as the past two years have not been quite normal, but I am very pleased with the outcome of this year's contest. Three out of four students in levels 2-post AP received an award. That's very impressive. Students should feel proud of this achievement. I feel proud of all of our students because I know all of them tried hard. Some were very close to getting an award. As Pierre de Coubertin (the founder of the Olympic games) said, ‘L'essentiel est de participer,’ which means ‘What matters most is to participate.’ The contest is a great learning experience.” 

David on his performance on this year’s Le Grand Concours: "After four years of dedicating myself to learning French, it is gratifying to have concrete proof of my accomplishment. As an international student, I understand the power of being fluent in multiple languages, which drew me to pursue French as my third language.”

Brady on the French language: “What I like about French is the history of the language and its influence on cultures all over the world. I specifically like learning French because of how prevalent it is in most countries. Overall, I feel that learning French has allowed me to gain a broader perspective on the world and has helped me connect with others across different cultures.”

 

List of award winners from WMA

Level 1

Cooper Dwyer ’25, bronze medal

Juan Pablo Sander ’25, honorable mention

Camila Uribe ’24, honorable mention

Level 2

Rebecca Kakule ’25, bronze medal, 13th nationally

Alex Zha ’22, honorable mention

Domenic Falcone ’24, honorable mention

Daniel Gao ’24, honorable mention

Level 3

Emma Landry ’25, bronze medal, 12th nationally

Emily DeNucci ’24, honorable mention

Leopold Heiss ’24, honorable mention

Alejandra Conde Vidales ’22, honorable mention

Level 4

David Nguyen ’22, silver medal, 10th nationally

Brady Gouin ’23, silver medal, 12^th nationally

Jada Lee ’22, bronze medal

Tiana Gao ’22, honorable mention

Sally Geoghegan ’24, honorable mention

Callie Dunbar ’24, honorable mention

Elisabeth Artzinger-Bolten ’24, honorable mention

Level 5

Genna Miccoli ’22, honorable mention

Yuzuki Yamaoka ’23, honorable mention