The Bilingual Teacher Student Association (BTSA), at UCI, hosted the end of the year bilingual community celebration this year at Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen in Irvine on June 4. This year, the attendees included: MAT bilingual candidates, new and present board members of BTSA, past BTSA presidents, MAT bilingual alumni and incoming MAT bilingual candidates.bilingual teacher qualification

BTSA president, Alejandra Grande, passed out stoles to graduating members of BTSA. Three of the four receiving stoles this evening, with future bilingual teacher embroidered on them, are also the first group to graduate with a minor in Spanish/English Bilingual Education from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The new minor officially launched this past fall of 2018. A total of six undergraduates from UCI were able to successfully minor in the new field before graduating this year.

Also receiving stoles this evening were the six MAT bilingual candidates. They successfully completed their student teaching assignments in dual immersion classrooms this past year. Four of the six have secured teaching positions at dual immersion schools. Susan Guilfoyle, bilingual coordinator, presented the six stoles to the newly minted bilingual teachers at the event. UCI undergraduates, graduates, alumni and mentors made this a wonderful celebration for our growing bilingual teaching familia.