I will be attending the University of Missouri to major in biological sciences (pre-med) student with a minor in Spanish. 

Advice I would give to students studying for the Seal of Biliteracy exam would be to learn as many verb tenses as you can! This makes the art of Spanish so much easier to understand and produce verbally and in writing. 

It is very hard to decide on one individual memory, but there are a couple I can name. Going to the zoo junior year to learn about our respective animals we were designated was so much fun because I hadn't gone on a field trip in forever. Also in that Spanish 4 class, we would have so much fun when we learned to say "Guau!" (wow!) 

What Biliteracy means to me is now having the ability to connect with so many cultures and people across the world. This past summer, I took a trip to Mexico and was able to communicate on a surface level with many of the resort employees, and I honestly even made a Spanish-speaking friend. Being able to learn about these Spanish-speaking people's lives was a profound experience for me because the language barrier was broken. 

In the future, I intend to further my Spanish ability so I can continue to connect with people who do not speak English, and in my career I intend to use this as an amazing skill to be able to connect with Hispanic patients.

Learning Spanish has benefited me so much in my life already, and I know I will only continue to improve.