Bianca Urbano has an almost ironic relationship with school: she dislikes tests, yet her ability to test well has awarded her national recognition. As a 16-year-old junior at Turlock High School, Bianca scored the highest possible score on her Advanced Placement Spanish test. This achievement, in conjunction with her community involvement, has resulted in her induction into the esteemed National Society of High School Scholars. As a member of NSHSS, Bianca is offered benefits such as scholarship opportunities, member-only resources, and academic competitions.
Bianca is bilingual in Spanish and English and she uses this skill to give back to her community. She is a part of the THS Hispanic Youth Leadership Council, or HYLC, through which she does volunteer work in her free time. She most recently helped clean up and paint parking space lines in Modesto and helped build the HYLC club float for the THS Homecoming.
“Once a month we have cluster meetings in Modesto, which is where the HYLC clubs in the area get together and share ideas. This way we exchange ideas and discuss what works and what doesn’t,” said Bianca.
When she isn’t involved in HYLC, Bianca attends her church youth group at Sacred Heart Parish in Turlock where she enjoys the camaraderie of other students. This camaraderie is also her favorite aspect of school, as well as learning new material. Despite her gift with words, Bianca’s favorite subject is algebra. As for college, Bianca is not quite sure of her future just yet.
“I think I want to study law, but I am still deciding on colleges. My counselor advised me that after winter is when I will probably look more seriously at the SAT test and schools,” said Bianca.
While Bianca may not have the next few years charted, her upcoming week is rewarding enough. She will stand alongside several other students from the county as she receives a medallion for multilanguage proficiency at the Stanislaus County Board of Education meeting on Thursday. This is just one more accolade Bianca can add to her list of accomplishments.
