Testimonials from Latin Students:
I want to thank you for the great time I had learning Latin in your class over the past three and a half years. I learned a lot in your class and would like to pursue my Latin education in college. It was you who led me to this aspiration. I remember last year, while we were studying Joseph Campbell, how you shared with us how you found your bliss through studying Latin. That really hit home for me as I have been attempting, over the past few years, to discover my bliss. You taught me that even though your journey to your bliss may be difficult, you may have to “extrahere raedam e fossa”* (to drag the carriage out of the ditch) every once in a while, that is is possible and worth it. The latter, to me, is the greatest lesson I have learned in my 15 years of school.
I appreciate how you brought your vigor for Latin to class every day. You always pushed me to understand a pretty complicated language in a new light. It never phased you when I bombed vocab quizzes or that the “Aeneid” translation was one of the hardest assignments I ever undertook in high school, you always encouraged me and believed I could do it.Because of that I always wanted to do well for you.
I will use the skills you have taught me for the rest of my life. Thank you for inspiring me with you passion for learning and your bliss for Latin. You are one of the greatest teachers I have ever had the privilege of having.
I wish you the best health,
Much love and gratitude,
– D.R., Freshman at University of Washington
If there is one person in the world that I can honestly state is the reason for my love of the classics and the beautiful language we call Latin, I could not think of a better candidate than you. Your passion for the subject inspired me every day to learn, and hopefully someday I will be able to do the same for others. I thank you, I salute you, Ms. Jessup
B.B., Latin 2 student at Cherokee Trail High School, 2009
“Salve, Ms. Jessup — It has been an honor being taught by you. I have learned to love Latin and its history, and for that I thank you!”
C.M., Latin 2 student at Cherokee Trail High School, 2009
I maintain that Latin is the most difficult language offered at our school and have already begun to see the benefits of having taken it. When I talk to other students, whether from our school or others, my knowledge of grammar and syntax almost frightens them. Also, on the reading lists for several of the Humanities classes at Chicago, there are books such as the Metamorphoses, The Aeneid, and other such titles, that I have not only read in your class, but have translated. I have no doubts that my experience in Latin will not only help me in the area of the study of Latin literature, but give me an upper hand in any other language I might pursue, due to my understanding of grammer and syntax C.T., Freshman at University of Chicago who took four years of Latin in high school, 2008
The worst thing about learning Latin is when the class ends — and the best thing about Latin is that that’s the worst thing.” Home-school high school Latin Student, 2005
(I am extremely proud of the people I have had the honor to teach. Students I have taught have gone on to such wonderful schools as MIT, the University of Chicago, Columbia, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, George Washington University, Boston University, University of Washington Seattle, and of course, CU Boulder, my own alma mater.)