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Spanish National Honor Society

AATSP

 

Our goal is to honor the students that have an interest in the Spanish language and culture and want to promote global friendships and peaceful understandings between cultures.

 

We have named our chapter after a real Mexican hero, Benito Juárez, who was born in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1806.  Orphaned at the age of three, he worked in cornfields and as a shepherd until the age of twelve. He was then recognized by a Franciscan friar for his intelligence and eager desire to learn. He was offered the opportunity to have an education and became a lawyer at the age of twenty-eight. Before he even graduated from law school he had already sought political office and was a civil judge by the age of thirty-five. He was from an extremely poor, rural, and indigenous background and married an Oaxacan woman, seventeen years his junior. He held power during the liberal reform and French invasion. He is remembered in Mexico as a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for the indigenous people of Mexico, separation of church and state, and accessibility to education for all who seek it. Mexico honors him with plazas, monuments, streets, schools, universities, and hospitals, all named after him & his legacy. We can sum up his philosophy with this quote:

"Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz", 

"Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace,"

which leads us to our motto “ Todos a una” meaning “ All together for one goal.”

 

Qualifications for the Benito Juárez Chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica at AAST

  • You are currently taking Spanish III / IV or have taken one of these courses at AAST.
  • You are a sophomore, junior or senior.
  • You have at least an 89 average for the Spanish classes you have completed, not including the one you may be currently taking.
  • You must have a minimum 3.8 unweighted overall GPA.
  • You are willing to do at least 15 hours of community and/or school service during the academic year.