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Three Hayfield Secondary School students won national honors after delivering polished presentations entirely in Japanese and fielding unscripted questions from judges.
The AP Japanese students competed in November at the 10th annual J.LIVE Talk competition at George Washington University. The TED Talk-style event tests students’ communication skills, creativity and fluency in a second language.
Elaina Rivers received the Silver Award and Layla Michael earned the Bronze Award in High School Category I. Maya Newman secured the Silver Award in Category II.
Rivers based her presentation on effective study strategies, a subject shaped by her own academic experience. She described herself as a late bloomer who struggled with studying in middle school before taking harder courses and rebuilding her habits in high school.
She chose a familiar topic because homework and studying are part of her daily routine. Rivers said receiving the award was unexpected, particularly because she lacked confidence in public speaking.
Rivers hopes to become a doctor and believes language skills could help her communicate with more patients and explore medical research published in Japanese. She would also like to study in Japan and eventually learn Chinese.
Michael combined two longtime interests—soccer and Japanese—for a presentation about how sports bring people together. She discussed the shared energy spectators experience even when they do not play the sport themselves.
Michael began learning Japanese at Gunston Elementary School through the Foreign Language in Elementary School program. She plans to minor in Japanese in college, continue working toward fluency and study abroad in Japan.
Newman focused on stray cats, drawing inspiration from her grandmother’s work caring for cats in her community. She discussed Japan’s strong cat culture and ways people can protect unowned cats as seasons change, including constructing simple outdoor shelters.
Her connection to Japanese is also personal. Newman’s mother is Japanese, and studying the language has helped her strengthen that part of her identity. She is considering majoring in international relations and said the ability to communicate ideas across cultures will remain valuable regardless of her career.
A program built over two decades
Japanese teacher and program sponsor Kyoko Vaughan helped prepare the students for the national competition. Vaughan, a 2025 FCPS Individual Impact Award recipient, is in her 20th year teaching Japanese at Hayfield.
She has developed a program emphasizing rigorous language study, cultural experiences and community involvement. Students have joined cultural exchange trips to Tokyo and Hiroshima through the Kakehashi Project, participated in national events and volunteered at Washington’s Sakura Matsuri festival.
The program has also brought a prominent Japanese musical group to Hayfield. Students attended a Japanese poetry workshop at the White House with first ladies Jill Biden and Yuko Kishida.
Vaughan said speaking before an audience in a second language is difficult and called the students’ performance a major achievement. She also stressed that automated translation cannot replace the depth of face-to-face communication between people.
Students credited Vaughan’s support and classroom conversation practice with strengthening their confidence. They described the program as demanding but enjoyable, with opportunities to form meaningful relationships with classmates and Japanese exchange partners.
Some Hayfield students study Japanese for six years or longer. Vaughan works closely with middle school Japanese teacher Yoshimi Gallan to maintain that path as students advance through school.
Other Hayfield participants in the competition included Carla Verdi Pita, Noah Roberts and Moxi Smiley. Families, educators and volunteers filled the auditorium for the anniversary event, where students supported one another and learned from the presentations.