A North Greene High School junior has won 1st Place in a national French competition with over 45,000 other students participating. Four other North Greene juniors also received awards and recognition for their accomplishments.
Lisa Kurze scored a 100% on the national exam, in which students are evaluated on their French writing, listening, and oral and reading comprehension skills. The perfect score earned her a Platinum Medal. She was one of only four out of the 45,000 entries to have a perfect score. Junior Tammo Haase won a Silver Medal, and Lawson Davenport, Zoe Kiser, and Keydi Romero were named Honorable Mention.
North Greene High School’s French teacher, Larry Justis, expressed pride in the students’ accomplishments. Justis noted that this marks the third consecutive year that NGHS students have participated in the national contest, consistently distinguishing themselves as some of the top French students in both the state of Tennessee and the nation. Having taught French in both Hawkins County and now Greene County, Justis said that while he has previously witnessed individual students receive national recognition, this is the first instance of multiple students earning such prestigious honors in a single year. Notably, Kurze’s achievement not only secured her 1st place in the state but also earned her the coveted 1st place nationally.
Fourteen North Greene students earned Certificates of Merit for their scores, which put them as some of the best in the state and the entire nation.
In addition to the notable achievements of these five students, fourteen other North Greene students have been awarded Certificates of Merit for their scores.
The Le Grand Concours National French Contest, now in its 89th year, is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. North Greene students faced off against competitors from public, homeschool, and private schools across the nation.
