Excellence En Français: Princeton Students Wins Coveted Language Award

PRINCETON, NJ – Two Princeton High School students recently received the 2025 AATF Excellence in French Award. The award is given out by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)

Angelica Cristofanilli and Viviana Cristofanilli are this year’s recipients. The award is given to students who have demonstrated excellence in the study of French as well as exceptional commitment to the French language and the many cultures where it is spoken.

Recipients must be non-native speakers of French, maintain an "A" average in French and "B" overall, and participate in extracurricular French activities.

Angelica has studied French for 12 years and is a student of Gyselle North. Angelica is a member of and an officer in both the French Club and Société Honoraire de Français at Princeton High School. The student co-authored "L'epanouissement" with her sister Viviana.

She developed educational resources to accompany the book and assisted in distributing it to schools. Angelica also earned a perfect score on the 2023 National French Contest.

She founded the Biomedical Immersion Camp for middle school students, interned at a neurological research lab, and leads the Surgery Club and the International Youth Neuroscience Association at Princeton High School.

Viviana has also studied French for 12 years while being a student of Gyselle North. She is a member of, and officer in, both the French Club and and Société Honoraire de Français at Princeton High School.

She also co-authored the French novel "L'epanouissement," which is now studied at PHS and Princeton Charter School.

Viviana earned a platinum medal in the 2023 National French Contest and has also won gold and silver in previous years. She frequently participates in French conversation cafes and has explored the relationship between literature and medicine. She tutored students in courses such as AP Chemistry, Accelerated Biology, Java Accelerated, AP US History, and AP French through the IDEAS center.

The AATF was founded in 1927 with the mission to promote the study of the French language and French-speaking literatures and cultures at all levels.

“We are proud to recognize the achievements of outstanding students and their teachers. We hope that this award will motivate students to continue their study of French either through a career in teaching or as a complement to any other profession,” the organization said in a statement.

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