1. Certamen is a key component of the JCL experience, transforming the study of the Classics into an engaging competition. Why were you initially interested in playing Certamen?
William: "I think we all have different stories, but for me, it's because I enjoy the competitive aspect of it. I remember when I was an eighth grader starting Certamen, all the upperclassmen would, in horror, encourage me to join, and they would say, “Oh yeah, you'll do great!” And then, I did not do great at my first competition, so I got motivated to do better because they all looked really disappointed in me because I got beat at my first competition."
Ribhu: "For me, my brother also did Latin at Walton, and he motivated me to do Certamen. And also, in part, it was William, because I always wanted to beat him on a specific subject, but I could never do that until recently I could beat him. And so I just worked hard trying to beat William. That was my real motivation."
Jerry: "I think I had a very similar story. I'm a year younger than William, so during Covid, he introduced me to the Certamen a year early before I even started Latin. When Latin started, I don't really say that much, but I had a little bit of head start. But [at] the first Certamen practice, I got absolutely cooked by Jack and Jeremiah. That really motivated me to try hard in Latin one, and that carried over because I just have a genuine passion for the language."
Jeremiah: "My story is kind of similar to the Ribhu’s and Jerry's, but I did Bible Quiz in middle school. It's also a buzzer game. When I found out Latin had something similar, I was
Jeremiah (continued): really interested in it. And then Jerry and William being there really pushed me and motivated me to get better and keep practicing."
Kashyap: "For me, it was probably the competitive aspect. I really like just competing in general. I started [in] my eighth grade year. The first Certamen practice – I just showed up for fun. Then, I told my friends to come, and then Aaron came. He started beating me, so I got annoyed. Then, I started studying. I think having fun with friends while also competing to get better together is what really made it fun for me."
Aaron: "I had read a lot of Percy Jackson in middle school, and so, the first Certamen practice, I knew all the myth questions. And so, I just started playing from there. Then, Kashyap also really pushed me to keep playing."
Olivia Chen, NJCL 2025-2026 Editor
Certamen Champions Interview
Certamen Champions Interview
Fall 2025 · Torch: U.S. · CERTAMEN CHAMPIONS INTERVIEW
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Featuring Aaron Chen (GA), Jeremiah Raj (GA), Ribhu Sonthi (GA), Kasyap Valeti (GA), Jerry Xu (GA), and William Zhao (GA)
Georgia's Advanced Certamen champions earn their medals.