Huntington Captures Honors in Le Grand Concours
June 20, 2025
Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School students turned in exceptional results on this year’s National French Exam, formally known as Le Grand Concours.
Foreign language teachers Dr. Gina M. Trigian-Molvaut and Marc-Thomas McKee encouraged their students to challenge themselves by taking the national test. This year, 57 high school students and another 26 at Finley responded to the call and sat for the exam.
Le Grand Concours is an annual contest sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French or AATF. Students of French in grades 1-12 take the computerized test and compete against their counterparts with similar educational backgrounds for prizes. Participants come from all 50 states and abroad. Students enter the competition through their respective French teachers. All students of French are eligible.
“Our participation rate was excellent,” Dr. Trigian-Molvaut said. “We recently received the results for both groups and 10 students from the high school and eight from Finley placed among the Top 10 in their division in all of Suffolk County.”
The 18 top finishers received plaques and those who ranked nationally were awarded medal at the annual AATF-Suffolk Distribution de Prix at Half Hollow Hills East. Teachers and students from many districts united to celebrate the accomplishments of the honorees.
Huntington’s award recipients included:
Level 01A: Charlotte Rizzo; Ranked 9th in Suffolk; Ranked 9th in Nation; Mention Honorable
Level 1A: Luisa Mackey; Ranked 5th in Suffolk; Ranked 6th in Nation; Silver medal; Lauréat National
Level 1A: Harper Cohn; Ranked 6th in Suffolk; Ranked 7th in Nation; Silver medal; Lauréat National
Level 1A: ennett Wagner; Ranked 6th in Suffolk; Ranked 7th in Nation; Silver medal; Lauréat National
Level 1A: Carmen Gonzales Robles; Ranked 7th in Suffolk; Ranked 8th in Nation; Silver medal; Lauréat National
Level 1A: Nathan Falk; Ranked 8th in Suffolk; Ranked 9th in Nation; Bronze medal; Lauréat National
Level 1A: Briana Velis Figueroa; Ranked 10th in Suffolk; Ranked 11th in Nation
Level 2A: Lindsay Gamez: Ranked 8th in Suffolk; Ranked 17th in Nation; Bronze medal; Lauréat National
Level 2A: Evolet Herrera Moriera; Ranked 8th in Suffolk; Ranked 17th in Nation; Bronze medal; Lauréat National
Level 2A: Melanie Brown-Freeman; Ranked 10th in Suffolk; Ranked 21st in Nation; Mention honorable
Level 4A: Meghan Walsh; Ranked 3rd in Suffolk; Ranked 15th in Nation; Silver medal; Lauréat National
Level 4A: *Kaitlyn McCrystal; Ranked 6th in Suffolk; Ranked 21st in Nation; Mention honorable
(* Denotes Huntington High School hosted these two students from Massapequa)
Level 4A: Mia Kaufman; Ranked 8th in Suffolk; Ranked 24th in Nation; Mention honorable Level 4A: Wynne Franciscovich; Ranked 9th in Suffolk; Ranked 25th in Nation; Mention honorable
Level 4C: Lude Saint-Silaire; Ranked 5th in Suffolk; Ranked 8th in Nation
Level 5AP: Sofia Gomez Calderon; Ranked 6th in Suffolk; Ranked 17th in Nation
Level 5AP: Ada Cruz Gutierrez: Ranked 8th in Suffolk; Ranked 20th in Nation
Level 5APC: Laurie Elza Sabatina Moise: Ranked 1st in Suffolk; Ranked 3rd in Nation; Gold medal; Lauréat National (She was also the recipient of a gold medal for first prize in the AATF original poetry contest.)
The following Finley students received honorable mention recognition for their rank in the nation: Level 01 A: Natalie Buchner, Anna Matarese; Level 1A: Montserrat Mani-Munoz, Michel Champagne, Vader Renkewitz, Kennya Alvarado, Kevin Rivas Martinez; Level 2: Juliana Musun Trujillo
The following Huntington High School students received honorable mention recognition for their rank in the nation: Level 2: Joseph Herman; Level 3: Katherine Bautista-Medina, Ronan Driscoll, Alison Hahn, Marilyn Mendoza-Virula
“I would like to recognize every student who participated in the contest and congratulate all those who placed in the top 10 in Suffolk County and nationally,” Mr. McKee said. “Their motivation and hard work truly paid off, showcasing the strength of our French program in Huntington UFSD. It is inspiring to see their achievements.”
The last week of school the High School, a special ceremony was also sponsored by the Société Honoraire de Français de HHS to recognize all students who participated in the National Exam. Mia Molina-Baptista opened the celebration with an incredible performance of “La Marseillaise.”
“As President of the AATF Suffolk chapter and coordinator of the Grand Concours for our county,” Dr. Trigian-Molvaut said. “I am extremely proud of Huntington's French students. Our participation in the National Exam validates their hard work and accomplishments while reinforcing the value of French not only as a language, but also as a gateway to global citizenship, cultural richness, and lifelong connections.”
Huntington students have been winning honors for their scores on the national exam for many years and this year’s test-takers have managed to build upon the exceptional tradition of their predecessors.
