As is customary for a high school salutatorian, Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto senior Rosemary Kim welcomed her fellow graduates and their guests to the school’s commencement ceremony on May 31 — by delivering the first trilingual address in the Los Angeles school’s 89-year history.Kim began her address in her first language, Korean, continued in Spanish, and concluded in English, to the audible amazement and appreciation of the assembly. Kim received thundering applause when done, and her feelings of relief and accomplishment were clearly visible on her face.“Initially, I was planning on speaking in only English and Spanish, and when [Principal] Mr. (Richard] Spicer suggested I include Korean as well, I was a bit surprised,” stated Kim. “I had never given a speech in Korean before, let alone three different languages at one time. It was a challenge for me.”While Korean is her native language, Kim has been speaking English since Kindergarten, and Spanish for the last four years. A member of the National Hispanic Honor Society, she will be attending Boston University in the fall.“Bishop Conaty High School has prepared me in so many ways for my next chapter in my educational career,” says Kim. “I have grown tremendously as a person. The teachers and all the staff have always been supportive and helpful; their encouragement has taught me the importance of staying humble and positive.”{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2013/0628/gradtrilingual/{/gallery}
