Senior Zaida Correal Shares Love for Language at Induction

Senior Zaida Correal shared her love for language during last week’s world language honor societies induction in the Huntington High School auditorium.

A member of the French and Spanish honor societies, Ms. Correal is a spectacular young woman. She plans to study cybersecurity at the University at Albany. Recognized as a Distinguished Senior, she credits her success to the positive connections she has formed with people; the way she was brought up; and the respect she has when it comes to relationships.

“Now that I am taking the next big step in my life, I am proud to be given this opportunity to share my love for language with you all,” Ms. Correal told the induction crowd. “First, let me congratulate all of the inductees here tonight. It’s true, many of us have a different way of looking at the importance of learning a new language. I realize that learning a new language for me is just like looking into a mirror. I use the image of looking into a looking glass (just like Alice) because when we learn a ‘new’ language, we are able to look beyond the surface, examine our inner selves and reflect on universal truths.”

Vice president of the high school’s student government, Ms. Correal has participated in numerous clubs including Habitat for Humanity, United Amigos and Grandfriends. She’s been a member of the drama club and danced and performed with the Huntington Highsteppers.

“Language is a wonderland and as language learners we are like Alice wandering into the rabbit hole finding ourselves in an incredibly rich pluralistic world,” Ms. Correal told the induction crowd. “We experience the various perspectives of different countries and the values that create their culture. We learn about their practices and how they impact the quality of life in other countries. And we learn about their products that we desire, enjoy and assimilate to deepen our own personal life experience.”

Ms. Correal has garnered varsity athletic letters in volleyball, basketball and flag football. “My passion to learn many languages has made me the person I am today and my communicative skills and cultural understandings will continue to help me succeed as the person I become tomorrow,” the senior said. “I plan to use my knowledge of the three languages that I speak – Spanish, English and French – in my profession. At the University at Albany, I am going to study cybersecurity to communicate as a trilingual when helping others protect their systems and even their countries’ network systems.”