Highlands Recognizes Six 2026 Global Scholars

To earn this recognition, these students demonstrated their global competence throughout high school by successfully completing the following portfolio of requirements:  

When reflecting on their most meaningful Global Scholars activities, Payton, Gabrielle, and Baylei highlighted their global job shadows which helped them to envision what their futures could look like. Payton’s experience shadowing a pediatric nurse helped her see how she could support non-English speaking patients as a future travel nurse. Gabrielle and Baylei appreciated the perspective they gained from the teachers they job-shadowed, particularly on how to work with diverse groups of students, including English language learners. 

 

Natalie cited the annual Holidays Around the World event at Highland Elementary School as her most memorable Global Scholars activity. Since her freshman year, she has taught about Portugal and shared bolo rei cake for the students to taste, partnering with Portuguese AFS exchange students Beatriz Santos in 2022 and Maria Rita Sousa in 2025. 

 

Abella found the University of Pittsburgh Chinese language and culture camp which she completed after her freshman year to be her most impactful Global Scholar activity. She said it sparked her love of languages and helped her realize she wants to incorporate languages into her future plans. Alexxia also attended the same Chinese summer camp and continued studying Mandarin and playing the pipa, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, at the Pittsburgh Chinese School. Alexxia shared these as her most valuable Global Scholars activities as they helped to increase her language proficiency and musical literacy. 

 

All six Global Scholars intend to continue developing their global competence beyond high school by traveling, continuing their language study, and engaging in global clubs and activities in college. In fact, Gabrielle and Alexxia recently traveled to Peru for the EF Tour of Art, Culture, and Community Service in June 2026. 

 

These exceptional students’ future plans also include studying nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for Payton, early childhood education, special education, and dance pedagogy at Slippery Rock University for Gabrielle, sonography at the Community College of Allegheny County for Baylei, biology and coaching at Slippery Rock University with the goal of becoming a high school biology teacher for Natalie, linguistics and enlisting in the military for Alexxia, and chemistry and forensic science with a prerequisite in law and participation in the dance team at Washington and Jefferson College for Abella.

 

¡Felicitaciones Payton, Gabrielle, Baylei, Alexxia, Natalie, y Abella! During the Senior Awards Ceremony in June, they received a Global Scholars certificate and global honors cords that they wore at graduation. 

 

*The Global Scholars Program, sponsored by Highlands High School and the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association (PSMLA), is an interdisciplinary program that helps cultivate globally minded students who, upon graduation, will be better prepared to negotiate our increasingly international society. 

 

For more information about the Global Scholars Program, visit the website or contact Laura Fleischer Proano, Global Scholars Advisor, at lproano@goldenrams.com