OCSA’s Spanish Honors Society attended the Florida State Spanish Conference (FSSC) on March 6th. FSSC is a competition for high school Spanish students to compete among their peers in the fields of declamation, impromptu speech & dramatic presentations. About 45 schools attended the conference.

16 students are brought from different schools and each student is placed in a level based on their Spanish class level, whether or not they are a native Spanish speaker. OCSA students have been preparing their impromptu speeches since December. The impromptu speeches are a set of questions each student is given based on the questions given to them.

The competition also includes artistic pieces in which students submit audition materials to perform for the banquet and then awards if they win. Senior dance major, Mia Escarment was a finalist for dance and won first place. Senior vocal major Jeanelly Aviles and junior vocal major Gabriella Berrios won first place for their vocal duet. The students also had a drama piece that all students participated in and prepared for since January. Overall, the students won first place.

Nayelia Rosado, a junior drama major at OCSA, says that throughout the experience she has learned to be more confident in her Spanish and herself. “This experience really improved my confidence and my connection with my culture.”