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Branksome Hall News

Grade 12 student’s passion for the Classics wins her a scholarship

Grade 12 student Maia has a passion for the classics—the Classical world, that is! Maia was recently selected as the Secondary School recipient for the coveted Classics prize, the Harry C. Maynard Scholarship, awarded annually by the Ontario Classical Association.
“I have loved mythology from an early age after being introduced to it by my parents and travelling to Greece to visit ancient ruins,” said Maia. “I first joined the Classics Club at Branksome when I was in Grade 7 and fell further in love with Latin and Classics. Since then, I have competed yearly at the Ontario Classics Conference in competitions including Roman Life, (Oral) Mythology and Latin Derivatives and Vocabulary.”

“I really love Latin and Classics, as studying them helps me fully understand the original works and their significance in the Classical world and today,” said Maia. “I adore analyzing the different texts and focusing on concepts that seemingly have very little connection to one another. Once studying them deeper, they reveal common themes and demonstrate the Classical world's influence on today's society! An example of this is the treatment of women in classical times and mythology such as Philomela, who has her tongue cut out for speaking badly against her husband. Likewise, women today are silenced either metaphorically or physically.”

Maia’s love of the Classics will continue in university next year, as she plans to pursue a degree in Classics at either the University of Toronto or Western University’s School for Advanced Arts and Humanities. 
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.

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