Lux Classica

Elizabeth McQueen is a graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Tennessee, and a former leader of the Tennessee Junior Classical League. Over three consecutive terms on the TJCL Executive Board, Elizabeth served as Torch Editor from 2021–2022, First Vice President from 2022–2023, and TJCL President from 2023–2024, helping guide the organization through growth, recovery from COVID disrup...

Simbo Ejeta is a student at the University of Notre Dame double majoring in Science Preprofessional Studies and Classics, and a dedicated member of the Illinois Junior Classical League community. During high school, Simbo was deeply involved in her school’s Classics Club, serving as Consul Indiciis and supporting her Certamen team at the state level. She attended Illinois JCL State Convention all...

Evie Todaro is a recent graduate of Hume-Fogg High School in Nashville, Tennessee, whose leadership and dedication left a lasting mark on the Tennessee Junior Classical League. Over three terms on the TJCL Executive Board, Evie served two terms as Second Vice President from 2022–2024 before leading the organization as TJCL President in 2024–25. Known for her commitment to service, organization, an...

Sophie Heitfield is a sophomore at Yale University studying Classics and Chemistry, whose passion and perseverance have made her a standout leader in the Junior Classical League. Representing the District of Columbia, Sophie often took on entire Certamen teams single-handedly and embodying the true spirit of JCL dedication. She later served as the 2023–24 NJCL First Vice President, overseeing memb...

Paulina Hampel is a longtime leader and passionate voice in the Texas Junior Classical League community. A freshman at the University of Notre Dame studying Classics and Political Science, Paulina has dedicated herself to spreading the joy of the Classics through both outreach and spirit. Her JCL journey has been remarkable — from serving as TSJCL Outreach Coordinator and leading over 200 Texas de...

Maxine Mandt is what many would call a JCLegend. Her list of leadership roles dates back to 2017–she was her middle school’s Latin Club president, her high school’s Latin Club Vice President and President, FJCL Regional Leader, FJCL Webmaster and Vice President, and NSCL Vice President. She is known for her infectious passion and enthusiasm and hopes to spread her love for the Classics even furthe...

Wyatt Roder is a former Certamen player and coach from Tennessee whose talent, skill, and dedication are revered even today. Wyatt’s impressive list of accolades includes multiple first places at Harvard, Yale, and Duke Certamen, along with back-to-back first places in the competitive Keartamen tournament. He is currently a sophomore at Georgetown University studying Classics and Linguistics. In t...

We’re excited to launch Episode 0 of Lux Classica, a student-facing podcast where we interview current and former JCLers about their experiences with the Classics. In this episode, we introduce ourselves and talk more about the podcast. We hope you’ll listen, and stay tuned for more!