Spanish Teacher Brian Santos offered seniors a new opportunity this year: Spanish Honor Society. The group, which will focus on service and language learning, inducted six seniors on April 25.

“This is just a great way for students to just get involved with Spanish more and to generate more of an interest in the Spanish program, and I think it’ll be really, really good for our school,” Santos said.

Spanish Honor Society is a national organization that promotes service and the Spanish language. While this year’s group was mostly honorary because it was formed late in the year, Santos plans to start volunteer work and regular meetings next year. He’s considering taking next year’s students to help at the English Language Learners program at SCCC or even a bilingual law firm, among other possible projects.

“I’m really excited that students will be able to use what they learn in the classroom outside of the classroom,” Santos said. “It’s so hard to teach culture when you’re in an enclosed space of four walls, and I want students to try to really reach out to the community and to meet people who speak the language and to use their Spanish skills.”

Santos decided to only open the group to seniors this year, but both juniors and seniors in Spanish IV and V will be eligible next year. To be inducted, they will have to complete 10 hours of service through the group, have all As and Bs in Spanish classes for all of high school, get teacher recommendations and pay a membership fee. Because the group was new this year, Santos counted NHS hours for this year’s six senior inductees, but the other requirements were the same.

“I wanted to join because it’s something new,” senior and inductee Bryce Perry said. “I enjoy Spanish, even though I’m not the best speaker of it. I just like learning about a different culture other than American culture. Just to be more embraced in the culture is nice.”