Courtesy photo Camille Krug is shown with her French teacher, Veronica Skomra.

Camille Krug, a 12th-grade student at Altoona Area High School, has achieved national recognition in the 91st annual Le Grand Concours, according to Ricky Baron, National Director of the competition.

Le Grand Concours is a highly competitive national event sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. More than 46,000 students nationwide were evaluated on their written, oral and listening comprehension skills in French for the 2026 competition.

Krug, an AP French student under the instruction of Veronica Skomra, earned a silver medal for her performance, surpassing her results from last year. In addition to securing the highest score among all participants from Altoona, Krug placed third within the local AATF chapter and ranks 12th nationally.

Skomra said, “This national silver medal is the culmination of four years of hard work, determination and academic excellence. To see her cap off her high school career by ranking 12th in the nation is a deeply rewarding moment. Camille is truly a student I will remember for years to come; her presence in the classroom will be deeply missed, and I could not be prouder of her success.”

Assistant Principal Keri Harrington, who oversees the World Language Department at Altoona Area High School, said, “Camille’s dedication to her academics and extracurricular activities is second to none. We principals couldn’t be more proud of her accomplishments both in our school and now at the national level. We are excited to see where her talents lead her in the future.”

For more information about the National French Contest, visit www.frenchteachers.org/concours.