Upper School JCL Students Shine at Nationals

It was an eventful year for Greenhill’s Upper School JCL at the National Convention, held July 21-26 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A total of nine Upper School students competed in various contests (results below), Ronni Phillips '27 served as a state officer, and Joan Romanosky was honored with a Silver Bowl.

• Ansh Gandhi '28: Ancient Geography, Level III (2nd), Computer-Enhanced Photography, Level 6-9 (4th), Ludi Minecraft (4th)
• Tomal Khan '28: Open Certamen (1st), Advanced Latin Grammar, Level III (2nd), Reading Comprehension, Prose, Level III (2nd), Academic Heptathlon, Level III (5th), Latin Vocabulary, Level III (9th)
• Connor Kim '28: Greek Derivatives (1st and highest score at nationals across all levels), Greek Derivatives, Level III (1st), Roman Life, Level III (3rd)
• Rishi Kumbhani '28: Mottoes, Level III (5th)
• Ronni Phillips '27: Constitution Contest (1st), Sight Latin, Prose (5th), Ancient Geography, Level IV (9th)
• Dylan Shah '28: Sight Latin, Prose (6th)
• Izzy Shiloh '27: Senior Girls' Discus (1st), Latin Oratory, Level IV+ (3rd)
• Rohan Swaminathan '27: Mythology, Level IV (7th)
• Renee Tse '28: Mixed Media, Level 6-9 (6th)

As state parliamentarian, Ronni led the state of Texas on proper procedure, following Robert’s Rules of Order, to vote on National JCL officers for the 2025-2026 year, as well as on several amendments to the national JCL constitution. She created presentations with a blurb about each candidate and a description of each proposed amendment so that our delegation could properly evaluate all their options and make informed decisions.

Texas has the largest delegation, with over 200 students, and Ronni had to get everyone on the same page about the proper way to make a motion, second it, and vote on it. She called on volunteers to share their opinions about candidates’ qualifications and who would be the best fit for each role, then oversaw the voting process. Ronni expertly guided delegates through the process, explaining each element and offering gentle reminders as needed. Her clarity of purpose and meticulous planning ensured a very smooth meeting.

Additionally, Ronni revamped our chapter (Greenhill US JCL) constitution and won first in the nation in the constitution contest! This contest has a very strict rubric and all entries must adhere to precise language and structures, and as a result, many entries are disqualified. Not only did Ronni meet all requirements, she created an exemplary document and has even helped other schools to write or revise their chapter constitutions.

Congratulations to the Upper School JCL team!