Twenty-five students from Oak Hall School recently participated in the 2025 National Junior Classical League (NJCL) Convention, with several earning top honors at the event.
The NJCL Convention, held in July at Miami University in Ohio, “is one of the largest gatherings of Latin students in the world, offering competitions, colloquia, and cultural experiences that celebrate Greco-Roman history, language, and literature,” according to an Oak Hall press release.
While competing alongside thousands of Latin students from across the nation, Oak Hall’s delegation distinguished itself in several academic, artistic and competitive events centered on classical languages and culture.
“Throughout the summer, our Oak Hall Latin students demonstrated incredible resolve, determination, and camaraderie,” said Noah Harris, Oak Hall’s Middle and Upper School Latin teacher, in the release. I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to work with these students each and every day, and I’m so proud of their passion for their academic studies and the Junior Classical League as a whole.”
Among the accomplishments for Oak Hall included placing third overall in the Scrapbook category. The school also had a strong showing in Certamen, a quiz bowl-style game for students of Latin, Greek and Classical civilizations, and students recognized:
- Advanced Certamen Team – third place: Alex Switt, Cristian Spiguel and Isaac Dixon
- Intermediate Certamen Team – fifth place: Tanner White and Gracie Okun
- Novice Certamen Team – fourth place: Aiden Ostrov, Carly Vu and Deborah Wu
In addition to team competitions, several Oak Hall students were recognized individually for their performance on NJCL academic tests. Among those recognized were:
- First place: Grace Okun, Crisitan Spiguel and Tanner White
- Second place: Avinash Nataraj, Tehila Okonoboh, Alex Switt, Carly Vu and Deborah Wu
“Our students’ success at NJCL is not only a testament to their hard work and talent but also to the enduring value of a well-rounded liberal arts education,” said Dr. James Hutchins, Head of School at Oak Hall, in the release. “We are incredibly proud of their achievements and grateful to our faculty for inspiring such a deep love of learning.”