French students competed at Congrès in Orlando last week, taking home scholarships, a “Prix du Jury” and more.

Among the students who participated, senior Jett Morgan and junior Jen Torres both won scholarships at the annual competition. Morgan won the French Government Scholarship and Torres won the $500 Pierre Kaufke scholarship. Pierre Kaufke is the founder of Congrès, and each year a scholarship in her honor is presented to one junior to continue his or her French studies.

“He (Morgan) will go to the French city of Avignon to participate in the world’s largest Festival of Theater, Le Festival de Théâtre,” French teacher Jennifer Walker said. “It is an all-expense-paid, study-abroad scholarship—the top award in the State of Florida. He has been the leading role and the star of all of our French plays for the last three years, which helped him win the scholarship trip to Avignon.

In addition to our scholarship winners, the plays took home superiors, with the upper-level play, “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” taking home a “Prix du Jury”, or a Judges’ Award of Distinction.

All seven French I students won the highest rank of  “Supérieur” for their events.

“Overall, it was fabulous,” Walker said. “We came in first place in the State for Class 2A.”

Sophomore Janet Lu appeared pleased.

“We are all really excited that the high school play got prix du jury which is the highest prize,” she said. “Overall, this was a really good Congrès and everyone seems happy with their results.”

Sophomore Jacquelyn Mateosky agreed.

“Everyone is so happy for the students who won the scholarships,” she said. “Winning the entire region and two scholarships was really cool but we didn’t do as well as we thought we could have, but I’m still very pleased with the results this year.”

By Hannah Kent