CONVENTION TESTIMONIALS · Winter 2025 · Torch: U.S.
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"Going to nationals was absolutely life changing! You got to meet people from all across the country who shared the same interests as you. There seemed to always be an activity going on for every possible interest, for me that was spirit. As SCJCL second VP I was in charge of our national spirit and roll call! Although at times it was a little crazy, nothing can compare to the absolute fun of having a toga party and teaching my peers a new cheer! Roll call was just as fun; getting to be creative and then sharing my creations is exactly what I imagined when I went to nationals!"
"Although it is as cult-like as I imagined (especially during the assemblies), it also involved so much more. We participated in sports, games, danced our hearts out, and interacted with so many new friends from states we never would’ve met otherwise.
I competed on the same team as random people whom I’ve never met before and even won several awards. We ate dinner with strangers from other states, bonding over how mediocre the food was.
Getting up at 6 a.m. in the morning was always so hard, but just the thought of a full day of activities with friends always made it easier. I also remember walking back to the dorms late at night, exhausted after fellowship, but always excited for what’s going to come tomorrow. For me, this experience was more about making friends and being more involved in the Latin community than about learning Latin.
I had so much fun and can’t wait to go back in summer 2026!"
"Nationals was legitimately one of the best experiences I’ve had for a school event.
Meeting so many different people, competing in my events, and hanging out with my friends was some of the greatest fun I’ve had in a while. The masterclasses that are held are so fun and educational, one of them literally just being a concert while you sit and watch a small musician retell The Iliad and The Odyssey using American folk inspirations. (Side note: he was so kind and showed me his guitar which was a really nice steel resonator guitar which was crazy to hold.) Everyone was so kind. Personally, I talked to a bunch of different people and made some good friends whom I still talk to! I didn’t really think I’d have friends from Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, California, and Maine after the trip but here we are! If you are interested in going, then I strongly recommend it (STRONGLY). It is some great fun, and I am certainly hoping to be able to go again this year!"
Wanyue (Christina) Deng (left) and Eloise Ogden (right) prepare for Spirit at Nats!
Wanyue (Christina) Deng
Dreher High School, South Carolina
Sam Siceloff
Dreher High School, South Carolina
Emerson Humphries
Dreher High School, South Carolina