By Mark Ambrogi
Noblesville High School doesn’t offer Latin, but that hasn’t deterred Yilin Dwyer. After some initial help from a tutor, the NHS junior has taught herself Latin.
She earned several awards at the State Convention in Fort Wayne in March, including one first place in reading comprehension and two second place finishes in vocabulary and grammar.
That qualified Dwyer for the National Junior Classical League Convention. Dwyer, a Taiwan native, captured the fourth place in Greek Life & Literature contest seventh in the essay contest in the national Latin competition at Trinity University at San Antonio July 27-31.
“I’m very interested in the classics,” Dwyer said of her fourth-place finish. ”My experience at the national convention and seeing all the other delegates from around the country who are also passionate about Latin and the classics really strengthened my love for Latin also.”
The Indiana group won the overall spirit award at the competition. Dwyer, who is starting to study Latin Level III now, was the only Indiana delegate to win an award in the academic part of the competition.
The group of 38 Indiana students went to San Antonio by bus, also making sight-seeing stops in St. Louis, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.
“It made the whole trip more interesting and gave the group of kids more chances to bond with each other,” said Jeanette Dwyer, her mother.
Jeanette teaches Chinese at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.
Dwyer and her daughter moved from Taiwan in sixth grade but returned to Taiwan for one year before coming back when she was in eighth grade.
Dwyer, who is taking Advanced Placement Spanish IV, wants to major in math or science in college. She plans to compete in the State Latin Convention again in 2016.
