There is good news and bad news regarding Latin at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

The bad news is that a number of top-notch students will not return to the language course next year due to their upcoming Commencement.

The good news is, before their impending graduation from the Academy, they crushed this year’s National Latin Exam.

Five students - Ryan Cooley ’26, Jayden Lee-Choi ’26, Alex Longridge ’26, Colin Moussette ’26 and Audrey Vipond ’29 earned gold medals on this year’s NLE.

The national exam had 100,000 global participants in 2026, with only 10 percent earning gold medal status.

“The sad part about this year's gold medal winners is that four out of the five are seniors and will be graduating,” explained Mr. Don Kelly, the Academy’s longtime Latin instructor. “Ryan Cooley, Jayden Lee-Choi, Colin Moussette and Alex Longridge - what a pleasure it was to teach students who were so dedicated. Good news is that we have three silver medals winners coming back as well as seven certificate winners. My job next year is to make them hungry enough to go for the gold.”

Below are quotes from the students who earned gold medals, as well as a list of all award winners:

Ryan Cooley, Advanced Latin Poetry: “I have had the privilege of having Mr. Kelly as my Latin teacher for all four of my years at WMA. He is an amazing teacher who makes all of the difficult concepts in Latin manageable and maintains a fun and light-hearted class environment. This year, I am taking Advanced Latin (Post-AP) and it is just me and one other student in the class. This has allowed us to choose pieces of prose and poetry that we are interested in and excited about and analyze them so much more deeply and personally because of our small classroom environment. I took the Advanced Latin Poetry level of the National Latin Exam this year, and I definitely think that Mr. Kelly's engaging approach to teaching Latin poetry contributed significantly to my performance.”

Alex, Intermediate Latin: “My teacher, Mr. Kelly, helped me achieve gold on this year’s National Latin Exam not only through his profound understanding of the Latin language, but also through his patience and genuine desire for his students to learn as much as he has, as shown by his always offering his services during Office Hours or after class. While I already enjoy studying Roman history and Latin, Mr. Kelly’s presence in the basement of Old Academy keeps me motivated and engaged every day. His humor, whether it’s joking about ‘go play in traffic’ or ‘the pit of despair’ makes the class lighthearted and enjoyable, preventing the material from ever feeling dull or repetitive. I see my gold medal less as a reflection of my own ability and more as a testament to Mr. Kelly’s energy, teaching style and dedication to his students.”

Colin, Beginning Latin: “I love (Latin’s) antiquity. In fact, the language itself has guided me to pursue the Classics as my concentration in university. There is something so satisfying about its age and history - something I can't seem to find in any modern language. Mr. Kelly has made learning truthfully warm. It's a field I will forever be proud to make a mark in.”

Audrey, Introduction to Latin: “I think a big part of earning a gold medal on the National Latin Exam was having such a supportive and engaging teacher. Mr. Kelly is really funny and makes class something I actually look forward to, which helps a lot with learning the material. He also does a great job explaining things in a way that makes sense. We have frequent tests, but they help reinforce what we’re learning and keep everything in our memories. He’s always encouraging us, which makes it easier to stay motivated and succeed.”

Award winners

Advanced Latin Poetry - Gold: Ryan Cooley ’26; Silver: Avery Kay ’26

Intermediate Latin - Gold: Alex Longridge ’26, Jayden Lee-Choi ’26; Silver: Joseph Prickett ’27; Magna Cum Laude: Neela Hopkins ’29

Beginning Latin - Gold: Colin Moussette ’26; Silver: Seandre Suban ’27; Magna Cuma Laudę: Kinabe Dana ’28, Frederick Shubrick ’27; Cum Laude: Norah Osborne ’28

Introduction to Latin - Gold: Audrey Vipond ’29; Silver: Seungheon Yum ’28; Magna Cum Laude: Bryson Cumento ’27; Cum Laude: Olivia Caban ’29, Alexander Green ’29