He became eligible for this award after receiving a gold medal in the 2015 National Latin Exam, and then had to write an application discussing a Latin quote and how it related to his personal philosophy.
For this he chose the College’s motto “Virtus Pollet”, which translates to “moral excellence prevails”. Of the 124 applicants, who had all received gold medals in the exam, there were 21 scholarship recipients.
Tony began learning Latin back in Year 9. He quickly developed a passion for both the language and the cultural and historical context, and decided it was a subject he wanted to continue studying throughout his time at King’s as well as at university.
Tony said, “I’ve found that by studying Latin I’ve gained far more than just knowledge of the language itself. I have also gained a better understanding of English grammar and vocabulary, languages such as French and Italian, and I’ve had great opportunities such as this scholarship.”
This is Tony’s fifth year of Latin and he has now participated in the National Latin Exam three times, winning a gold medal each time. In 2014 he received a Cambridge High Achievement Award after achieving 99% in the IGSCE Latin exam last year.
“This is also my fifth year of having Mr. Jackson as my Latin teacher. Mr. Jackson has been the most incredible teacher, as he has the extensive knowledge and experience to ensure that we achieve to the highest level in the exam, and also is extremely engaging and able to make Latin such a consistently enjoyable class. I am extremely grateful for all he has done over these years to make it possible for me to enjoy the benefits of these awards.I am very pleased and thankful to have received this scholarship, and to have had the opportunity at King’s to study such an amazing and rewarding subject.”
