Hanaa Mekawy is a Level 2 student at Roncalli Central High School in Avondale. Hanaa is committed to bilingualism and she expresses enthusiasm for the French language and culture. Hanaa’s love for the French language began during her grade 6 year when she completed the Intensive Core French program at Holy Cross Elementary in Holyrood. Hanaa went on to continue her French studies as Roncalli Central High and she has been very successful. This year Hanaa participated in the Regional French Public Speaking Competition in Bay Roberts where she was given the opportunity to move on to the Provincial French Public Speaking Competition at Memorial University held on Saturday, April 25th. Hanaa competed in the Core French Plus category along with three other competitors. Hanaa won 1st place and won $150 as well as a one-week French camp at the Francoforum in St. Pierre-et-Miquelon. Hanaa will now be heading to Ottawa to compete in the National French Public Speaking Completion on Saturday, May 30th. Here, Hanaa will be given the opportunity to win a full scholarship to several Canadian Universities including Ottawa, Moncton, Sainte-Anne, Prince Edward Island and Saint Boniface.
Hanaa has benefited from many opportunities that are available to French Second Language Learners in this province. Last summer she was one of the many Grade 10 students who received a bursary to study French in Québec City. During the four-week program “En Français à Québec”, Hanaa participated in many interactive activities that allowed her to explore Canada’s Francophone culture as well as discover the real-life advantages of being bilingual. Hanaa had a fantastic time, met lots of new friends and has plans to return again during the 2015 summer to complete a 5-week bursary program. Hanaa hopes to inspire other Roncalli students to get more involved in learning French.