Carden Academy HB's National French Contest Medal Winners (L-R) Cambria Arvizo, Celina Huynh, Dustin Huynh, Troy Nguyen
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Carden Academy HB French Teacher Colette Waldron
Huntington Beach , Calif. – Of 101,487 students participating in the prestigious National French Contest Le Grand Concours, 7th grader Dustin Huynh of Carden Academy of Huntington Beach won the Gold Medal, finishing first in the nation, the school announced today. He also finished first among 2,440 Southern California students.
His sister, Celina Huynh, a Carden Academy HB 8th grader, captured the Silver Medal by finishing second in the nation and second in So. Calif. in the more comprehensive test level 1 (There are two test levels – Level-1 for high school students, and Level-01 for middle school students.)
Eighth graders Troy Nguyen (4th nationally, 3rd in So. Calif. ) and Cambria Arvizo (9th nationally, 8th in So. Calif.) won Bronze Medals. They took the more comprehensive Level-1 test.
Overall, students from Carden Academy of Huntington Beach shined in the contest as four students finished in the Top 20% -- 8th graders Jennifer Nguyen and Harry Smith (Level-1) and 7th graders Kelly Furuya and Nicole Cortese (Level-01).
Additionally, 20 other students from the school finished in the Top 50%, nationally -- 7th graders Natalie Flores, Ashley Rhyne, Emma Silvestri, Katherine Rives, Geneva Minns, Keemia Tabriza, Nina Kar, Alexandra Henderson, Wesley Slates and Nicholas Zapotoczny, and 8th graders Andy Nguyen, Austin Nguyen, Diane Schwene, Jill Nakaso, Will Sprowls, Cheyenne Arcuri, Daily Stinson, Matthew Rimlinger, Madison Fancher and Ingrid Lecot.
“We’re extremely proud of our students,” says Carol Van Asten, the school’s director. “Sweeping the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals is a great credit to the students and their parents, their teacher, Colette Waldron, and our challenging educational philosophy.
“Moreover, having four students in the Top 10, four in the Top 20 and 20 more students finish in the Top 50% is a remarkable accomplishment by one school. But that’s one of things that make Carden Academy of Huntington Beach the special school it is. We not only excel in French, we also excel in Math, Algebra, Geometry, Computers, English and English Lit, and History. More than 90% of our 8th grade graduates test in Honors Geometry, Algebra and Literature and go on to perform excellently at such private high schools as Sage Hill, Mater Dei, Cornelia Connelly as well public schools like Fountain Valley High, Edison and Huntington High.”
In regards to Dustin Huynh’s notable effort, Mrs. Waldron says, “He’s a very special student and person. To finish first in the U.S. is an amazing job; it is a very difficult test and you have no idea what is going to be on the test. Dustin is an excellent student with great study habits.”
Last year, Carden Academy HB performed brilliantly, too, as Reina Sultan, now at Cornelia Connolly High, finished fourth in the national and second in So. Calif. Four students in all finished in the Top 10 percent nationally, two in the Top 20 percent, and five in the Top 50 percent.
