Cardinals Soar:
Achieve Top Honors
22nd Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) National Essay Contest
John Paul II High School Students Achieve Top Honors in National Chinese Essay Contest
Cardinal Pride is soaring to new heights this week as we celebrate an extraordinary academic achievement by our World Languages department! We are thrilled to announce that students from John Paul II High School have earned top honors in the 22nd National Essay Contest, hosted by the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS), recognized as the most competitive Chinese writing competition in the United States.
This prestigious annual contest invites students from across the nation to showcase their linguistic skills and cultural understanding. The 2025 competition was particularly rigorous, receiving over 700 outstanding entries from schools nationwide. This year’s theme, "AI and Me" (人工智能与我), challenged students to explore the evolving relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence, a topic that requires not only advanced language proficiency but also deep critical thinking and foresight.
Our Cardinals rose to the challenge with remarkable success. Please join us in congratulating our award-winning students:
- Gold Award: Mia Ma, Stella Sun
- Silver Award: Alejandro Mendoza
- Honorable Mention: Alexa Fuentes and Ayden Luk
Securing a Gold and Silver award, along with two Honorable Mentions, places JPIIHS among the top-performing schools in the country for Chinese language education. The CLASS Essay Contest Committee specifically praised our students for their "creative writing work," noting that their essays showcased
a deep understanding of how technology impacts our daily life and our future."
This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, who have demonstrated that they are not just effective communicators, but also the "critical thinkers" our school mission strives to develop. Writing a persuasive essay on a complex technical subject like Artificial Intelligence is difficult enough in one's native tongue; to do so with such eloquence and insight in a second language is a truly profound accomplishment.
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Lian Zhang, whose encouragement and guidance were instrumental in this success. Her dedication to inspiring students to express their unique voices on global issues is a shining example of excellence within our faculty. As the contest committee noted in their award letter, it is this kind of mentorship that helps students navigate the "evolving relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence."
Congratulations, Mia, Stella, Alejandro, Alexa, and Ayden! You represent the very best of John Paul II High School.
About John Paul II High School
John Paul II High School (JPII) is the premier Catholic, coeducational, college-preparatory institution in Collin County, Texas, offering a supportive, faith-based environment where students excel academically and grow spiritually. JPII emphasizes a challenging curriculum, including AP and honors courses, to prepare students for top universities.