In Harmony, Small Things Grow: Sage Hill JCL Emerges Victorious at State Latin Convention
Sage Hill’s Junior Classical League (JCL) chapter attended the California Junior Classical League State Convention (CAJCL) at St. Francis High School in Sacramento from March 27 to 28.
Under the theme Concordia parvae res crescunt— in harmony, small things grow— students competed in academic tests, sports, and Greco-Roman themed events. Donning togas in a sea of 415 students, JCL students shouted Roman chants during the spirit contest of the convention. A series of student victories in these events gave way to a third-place overall finish for Sage Hill among 30 participating schools.
In Project Runway, with only thirty minutes to create a Greco-Roman-inspired fashion piece, the team of freshman Lauren Levine, sophomores Aniline Umstaetter, Serena Rong and Chloe Muller and junior Aseel Al-Ali emerged victorious with a Greek goddess-inspired outfit.
“We chose Circe, because she’s an example of a powerful woman from Greek mythology,” said Lauren. The team handcrafted flowers and a wand from scratch to secure a win from the judges, she said.
Months of practice paid off for the Latin I team, who made school history with a first place finish in Competitive Certamen, a quiz-bowl style competition which tests students on questions ranging from the Latin language, Roman daily life and mythology.
“I actually couldn’t cheer at the moment because I was in another room grading essays, and so I had to very silently have a lovely little celebration, but I was very happy,” Latin teacher and JCL sponsor Dr. Jeffrey Feland said.
The freshman team of Max Diaz, Jasper Kim, Madelynn Lee, Arthur Sparks and Alex Zuo held their buzzers tight as they raced to answer questions in the beginner division of the Certamen finals—emerging victorious in a major upset over rival University High School.
“I think we were all just really relieved after the round— and that all our cram studying and stress didn’t just go to nothing,” Madelynn joked.
“It was a great experience for everyone, especially it being the first state convention we’ve gone to,” Jasper Kim added.
Junior Alex Kong also swept the Ancient Geography, Mottoes and Mythology exams, earning the highest marks of the convention on each test.
“I have loved Greco-Roman mythology for years, starting with Percy Jackson in second grade. And I have loved looking at maps forever. State tests were simply a vessel for me to express that passion,” Alex said.
In the last General Assembly of the convention, juniors Aanya Pillai and Chelsea Chen raised their right hands in oath alongside the 2026-2027 CAJCL Executive Board, newly-elected by participating chapters as parliamentarian and secretary.
“Sage JCL really gave me such an amazing environment with all the different people,” Aanya said. “It’s such a positive experience, and it’s so much fun, and I really hope to bring that to other people through being on the state board.”
Senior Julia Ball, First Vice President of the current CAJCL Board, joined the stage to receive the Lura A. Wallace and Paul E. Shickle CAJCL Scholarship, which contributed $2,000 toward her continued study of the Classics in college.
As one of four seniors to win the scholarship, Julia credits Dr. Feland’s mentorship, the Sage Hill JCL chapter and the CAJCL in her decision to continue her study of Latin and the Classics into college.
“I am so grateful to them for teaching me so much and allowing me to grow and develop into a more mature and educated person!” Julia said.
“These sort of events show just how much impact Latin and the classics have had on our world over the last couple thousand years, and their relevance shows how much students enjoy this sort of competition,” Dr. Feland said. “I just love to see students perform their best, enjoy what they’re doing, and show off all that they’ve learned. Because whether they win or lose, it’s really more about making sure that they get the most out of the experience.”
