Send a 加油 (jiā yóu—“Let’s go!”) to our CFSD students! This year’s Chinese Language Teachers Association of Arizona (CLTA-AZ) 4th Annual Chinese Speech Contest drew over 240 video submissions from students at 37 schools across Arizona, from elementary through university level. When the finalists were announced, Catalina Foothills was all over the list.
Sixteen Sunrise Drive Elementary students and nine Orange Grove Middle School students have advanced to the live finals at Arizona State University on Saturday, February 28. At Orange Grove, those nine finalists represent nearly half of the 20 middle school finalist spots statewide.
Students worked closely with their teachers to prepare and record their speeches, and families provided tremendous support throughout the process. At Sunrise Drive, 38 students entered the competition, with 16 advancing to the final round.

Orange Grove Middle School Finalists

Chinese language teacher Kim Gaskill (left) with her Orange Grove Middle School finalists.
Congratulations to Elsie Bazarnic, James Kerwin, Yahia Alkhayat, Cora Crawford, Emma Auston, Katie Lin, Lily Dickson, Milena Rubin, and Xavier Wu, who have all been selected as finalists in the middle school divisions. Each submitted a video recording of a prepared speech delivered entirely in Mandarin Chinese and was evaluated by judges on pronunciation, fluency, content, and presentation. Congratulations also to runners-up Emery Maland, Penelope Lockwood, and Jacqueline Tija.
A special shoutout goes to KK Wang, who entered the heritage division, a category that includes middle and high school students in grades 7 through 12 whose families speak Chinese at home. KK’s family doesn’t! Competing against heritage speakers without the advantage of hearing the language daily at home is remarkable.

Sunrise Drive Elementary Finalists

Congratulations to the 16 Sunrise Drive students who have advanced to the final round. The competition includes divisions based on grade level and years of Chinese study, with both heritage and non-heritage categories. Our students are represented across all of them:
Grades 2–3 Heritage: Kian Asgari, Eva Sofía Blanco Vietor, Ishwari Bandopadhay
Grades 2–3 Non-Heritage: Arthur Lam, Mila Hui, Wayne Lee
Grades 4–6 Heritage: Clara Lee, Jackson Benson, James Enzo Fernandez, Kaylee Xu
Grade 4 Non-Heritage: Margaret Ratta, Ezri Jansen, Kennedy Kay, Paulo Ricardo Araiza-Alonzo
Grades 5–6 Non-Heritage: Ace Chou, Lily Auston

Built Right Here in CFSD

These results reflect the work that starts at Sunrise Drive Elementary and continues through Orange Grove Middle School. CFSD’s Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program begins at Sunrise Drive, and by the time students reach Orange Grove, many have had years of foundational instruction, giving them a head start that clearly shows up in competitions like this one.
At Sunrise Drive, teachers Siyi Chen and Ying Wang prepare students from the earliest grades, building the vocabulary, pronunciation, and confidence that make achievements like these possible. At Orange Grove, teacher Kim Gaskill builds on that foundation, pushing students toward deeper fluency in a language that is widely considered one of the most challenging for English speakers to learn. Mandarin’s tonal system, character-based writing, and grammatical structure are entirely different from English, which makes the achievements of these young speakers all the more impressive.
We also want to recognize all of the students who participated in the competition at both schools. Submitting a speech in Mandarin Chinese takes courage and preparation, and every student who entered should be proud of the work they put in.

About the Competition

The CLTA-AZ Chinese Speech Contest is a statewide competition organized by the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the study of Chinese language and culture in Arizona classrooms from kindergarten through college. Now in its fourth year, the contest drew contestants from 37 schools across Arizona.
The competition is divided into multiple categories by grade level and years of study, with both heritage and non-heritage divisions. In the first round, students submit video recordings of prepared speeches on assigned topics. Finalists then compete live at ASU, where they deliver their speech, respond to impromptu questions, and may participate in an optional Chinese talent showcase.

Good Luck!

For our students, standing on a university stage and delivering a speech in Mandarin is both a celebration of how far they’ve come and a preview of where these skills can take them. Many will continue building their Chinese language skills through middle school, high school, and potentially AP coursework, opening doors to college credit, international study, and careers in an increasingly interconnected world.
We couldn’t be more proud of the Chinese program and the teachers at Sunrise Drive and Orange Grove who have helped these young linguists build such amazing skills. Good luck to all of our finalists on February 28!

 
Our Finalists at a Glance
CLTA-AZ 4th Annual Chinese Speech Contest  |   Finals at ASU  |  Saturday, February 28, 2026
ORANGE GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School Division Finalists: Elsie Bazarnic, James Kerwin, Yahia Alkhayat, Cora Crawford, Emma Auston, Katie Lin, Lily Dickson, Milena Rubin, Xavier Wu
Runners-Up: Emery Maland, Penelope Lockwood, Jacqueline Tija
Heritage Division: KK Wang
Teacher: Kim Gaskill
SUNRISE DRIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Elementary Division Finalists: Kian Asgari, Eva Sofía Blanco Vietor, Ishwari Bandopadhay, Arthur Lam*, Mila Hui, Wayne Lee, Clara Lee, Jackson Benson*, James Enzo Fernandez, Kaylee Xu, Margaret Ratta, Ezri Jansen, Kennedy Kay, Paulo Ricardo Araiza-Alonzo, Ace Chou, Lily Auston
Teachers: Siyi Chen and Ying Wang