Antonella Parra Gonzalez, a third-grader at Harris Elementary School in Gilbert Public Schools, recently received the Arizona English Learner Students Success Story Award.

This award, presented by the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition Services, celebrates the remarkable journeys of English Learner students who have demonstrated outstanding progress in English language proficiency and academic performance.

Having immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in the spring of 2023, Antonella began school at Harris Elementary with limited English proficiency.

In the spring of 2023 Antonella arrived in the United States from Venezuela and entered the first grade. At that time, she was not yet able to speak any English and had scored in the pre-emergent level on her AZELLA placement test.

However, with dedication and a strong work ethic, Antonella quickly progressed, demonstrating a remarkable ability to learn and grow.

This work ethic and dedication to learning paid off for Antonella. She had earned a Proficient score on the AZELLA reassessment, an impressive accomplishment for a second grader.

Remarkably, within a year of starting school, Antonella had become proficient in all aspects of English language acquisition: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

However, Antonella's success story is not solely defined by her academic achievements.

“Now, as a third grader, Antonella continues to shine," Earl added.  She goes out of her way to support her peers, whether they are new to the class or still working on their English language development.  Her kindness, empathy and leadership are truly inspiring."