Aye, Castiglia Recognized by University at Buffalo Confucius Institute

Nichols School seniors Lay Mya Aye ’20 and Olivia Castiglia ’20 were recognized at the All-School Meeting on May 19 for their recent awards from the University at Buffalo Confucius Institute. Aye and Castiglia were two of 11 students from Erie and Niagara Counties who received the Institute’s 2020 Award for Excellence in Chinese Language Learning.

 

The awardees were selected based on their consistently high level of proficiency in Chinese and enthusiasm for learning about Chinese language and culture. Each awardee received a $100 e-gift card from Barnes and Noble and a certificate of accomplishment. Aye and Castiglia will be recognized with the other nine awardees at a University at Buffalo event during the 2020-21 school year.

 

Aye started taking Chinese her freshman year at Nichols. Last year, she won the University at Buffalo Confucius Institute’s Chinese Speech Contest and represented Buffalo at the in the final speech competition in New York City.

 

Castiglia has studied Chinese at Nichols since she joined the school in fifth grade. She passed the HSK Level III Chinese proficiency test last year, which is the requirement for studying abroad in China.

 

“I enjoyed teaching Lay and Oliva tremendously, and would like to congratulate them for their great accomplishment,” Upper School Chinese teacher Yajie Zhang said. “I wish them the best for their next chapter of life.”