TSD Japanese Club Wins Awards

Last month two Athens students placed exceptionally well in the 2024 Michigan Japanese Speech Contest: Junior Aryan Vadlamudi placed 4th and Senior Saisha Srivatsan came in 2nd place for HS Division, Advanced Level. Saisha and Aryan both wrote their own speech and presented before an audience and judges from SE Michigan Japanese community, including those from the Consulate of Japan and JBSD (Japan Business Society of Detroit). Troy High sophomore Dayana Ochoa Delgado participated from Troy High School and placed 2nd in the beginners’ division.

Also, teams from Baker, Larson, Athens and Troy High participated in the 29th Michigan Japan Quiz Bowl at UM, AA on March 10. MJQB is sponsored by Japanese Teachers Association of Michigan.

Middle School Division

1st place, Larson: Brandon Clark & Max Jacob (both 8th gr.)

2nd place, Baker: Isabella Kruchko (8th gr.)

3rd place, Baker: Hailey Lan, Nimalan Prathap, Gia Vidyanandan (all 8th gr.)

4th place, Larson: Haley Angsioco, Yuliia Shlapak, Danikka Sulak, Toni Rose Valentiono (all 8th gr.)

HS Division 1

2nd place, Athens: Miah Baker & Teagan Tree (both 9th gr.)

HS Division 2

1st place, Athens: Corynn Lewis, Indya Banks, James Bittner (10th & 9th gr.)

2nd place, Athens: Gargi Sonawane, Suriyaa Sabaribala, Maria Charbaji, Greta Popescu (9th gr.)

HS Division 3

1st place, Troy High: Jumana Arif (10th), Dashae Hurst (10th), Ian Beals (10th), Thinh Giang (10th), Imani Smith (12th)

3rd place, Troy High: Dayana Ochoa Delgado (10th), Karthik Prasant (10th), Nivin Suresh (10th), Anthony Wu (10th), Hadassah Pulidindi (11th)

4th place, Athens: Lucia Bonino, Haein Suh, Emma Walters (all 11th)

HS Division 4

1st place, Athens & Troy High: Aryan Vadlamudi, Ella Sidorowicz, Yashvanth Aravinth (Athens 11th gr.), Zahra Khan (Troy High 11th gr.)

2nd place, Athens & Troy High: Joshua Gallega, Ava Bunao (Athens 11th gr.), Vaishnavi Paliwal (Troy High 11th gr.)

HS Division 5 (AP)

1st place, Athens & Troy High: Saisha Srivatsan (Athens 12th gr.), Sophia Nguyen (Troy High 12th gr.)

In addition, eleven students were inducted into the Japanese National Honor Society in recognition of their academic excellence and promotion of Japanese Language and culture in the community. Congratulations to Athens juniors Yashvanth Aravinth, Ava Bunao, Ella Sidorowicz, Aryan Vadlamudi and Athens senior Saisha Srivatsan and Troy High sophomores Dayana Ochoa Delgado, Karthik Prasant, Nivin Suresh and junior Zahra Khan and Vaishnavi Paliwal and senior Asahi Suenaga for their dedication to our program!!

Finally (new item) 3 students from Larson, Athens, and Troy High took high honors for the 2024 Nengajo contest. Nengajo are New Year’s cards that people send to each other in Japan. 2024 is the Year of Dragon, so the theme is dragon.

• Middle School Artistic: Toni Rose Valentino (Larson)
• High School Original: Vaishnavi Paliwal (THS)
• High School Computer Graphic: Ava Bunao (AHS)