Director
Jacquelyn Wilkins
she/her
Class: Mercatus
Contact: [email protected]

Jacquelyn Wilkins earned her B.A. in History and Classics From Sweet Briar College and completed the Post Bacc in Latin and Greek at the University of Pennsylvania. This is her fifteenth  year working with the Latin Academy: she served as a teacher in 2009, Lead Teacher from 2010-2014, Director from 2015-2019, a teacher in 2021, and has returned as Director from 2022-2024. She has taught classes ranging from the construction of identity in the Roman Empire to Bronze Age Archaeology.  Jacquelyn currently teaches Latin I-AP at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg. When she isn’t learning how to decolonize her classroom and how to limit the impact of bias on academic research, you can find Jacquelyn designing her next tattoo, geeking out over sci-fi and superheroes, preparing her new daughter Brittany (an alum of last year's academy) to move to R-MC in the fall, and snuggling with her five cats. Her favorite ancient authors are Homer, Herodotus, Ovid, Tacitus, and she has fallen in love with inscriptions and graffiti.
Co-Lead Teacher
Brent Cavedo
he/him
Class: quae nunc est Romae
Brent Cavedo holds a BA in Latin and Classical Civilization from the University of Mary Washington as well as an MA in Latin and an MA in Art History from the University of Georgia where he is currently pursuing his PhD in Art History. This is his fifteenth summer as a teacher at the Latin Academy, where he has taught a variety of classes on the cultural history of the ancient Mediterranean world. Magister Cavedo teaches upper school Latin and a JanTerm about ancient technology and art at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta. His current research and new Academy course focus on the display, aesthetics, and viewership of painting in ancient Rome. His favorite ancient texts include Catullus 64 and Philostratus’ Imagines. In his free time he enjoys listening to music, watching the Atlanta Hawks, skateboarding, and relaxing with his pets.
Co-Lead Teacher
Magistra McIntire
they/them
Class: Quid Rides?
Magistra McIntire teaches Latin at William Penn Charter School in Pennsylvania. They received their MA in Classics from Washington University in St. Louis and their BA from Randolph-Macon College- the very place your students will be staying this summer! This is their 7th year with Latin Academy after previously attending as a student, RA, lead RA, and teacher. Their Classical research interests include ancient gender roles and culturally responsive pedagogy. During free time, they like to play soccer, ancient DnD, and any show on Dropout with Anna Garcia or Vic Michaelis. They are very excited to explore the humorous methods of Plautus, Horace, Martial, Juvenal, Petronius, Seneca, graffiti, and even yourself!
Teacher
Noah Cogan
he/him
Class: Διονύσια τὰ μεγάλα / Ancient Greek
Noah Cogan earned his B.A. in Greek & Roman Studies from Vassar College, his M.A. in Greek & Latin from the University of Maryland College Park, and his M.Ed. from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University in Private School Leadership. He currently teaches Latin and Ancient Greek as well as sponsors various organizations such as the Genders & Sexualities Alliance and Political Awareness Club at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA. He is so excited to be back for his second in-person Latin Academy. He loves epic poetry and making Greco-Roman literature more accessible for modern audiences. His interests outside of Greek & Roman culture are playing and listening to music, playing and watching soccer (Liverpool FC), board games, and video games. He is also a low-key high-key Lord of the Rings nerd.
Teacher
Olivia Koshute
she/her
Class: voces feminarum
Olivia Koshute currently teaches Latin at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA. She earned her B.A. in Classics and English from the University of Virginia. She is excited to return for her fourth summer at the Latin Academy after attending as a student in MMXVIII, and serving as Lead RA in MMXXII-MMXXIII. Her classical interests include women and gender in antiquity, mythology, and North Africa in classical antiquity. Some of her favorite Latin authors are Vergil, Ovid, and Catullus. Aside from Classics, Olivia also loves theater, playing violin, soccer, and geeking over animated shows. She also enjoys reading, especially anything with epic fantasy.
Teacher
Lexi Harrell
she/her
Class: Stylus Amicitiae
Lexi Harrell earned her B.A. in Latin and Classics from Randolph-Macon College. This is her second year working with the academy after being a student in MMXVII and serving as an RA in MMXX. She currently teaches Latin I-AP at Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County where she also sponsors her school’s Latin Club, Honor Society, and a Freshman Mentor Program. Lexi is enthusiastically intrigued by Latin Grammar, as well as the Bronze Age and portrayals of Greece by the Roman Empire. When she isn’t identifying sub-oblique and jussive-noun clauses, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, listening to DnD podcasts, and doing paint-by-numbers.
Lead RA
Benji Hess
he/him
Elective: Satyricon: Text and Film, Petronius and Fellini.
Benji Hess earned his BA in Classics from Washington and Lee University in 2023 with minors in both Art History and Archaeology. He has since been living in Greece to complete his Post-Bacc in Classical Studies while holding two volunteerships in ceramic and osteological archaeology labs. He will soon be relocating to Graz to teach English and research Classical reception with a joint offer from Fulbright Austria and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. This will be his second year with GLA, having also served as an RA in MMXXIII. Outside of academics, Benji loves music, hiking—Greek and Latin idylls make for a great part of his research—and reading.
RA
Laura Church
she/her
Elective: Zoology in the Ancient World
Laura Church is a Classical Studies student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Laura is returning to GLA as an RA this year after attending as a student in MMXXII. Laura has spent the year working as a Volunteer in the University of Edinburgh History, Classics and Archeology library, focusing on the Greek Authors collection. This interest was sparked during her time studying Greek rituals while at GLA. Laura is also interested in the ecology of the ancient world and the lasting effects. Independent of her studies, Laura loves spending time outdoors and really enjoyed her recent visit to three sites on Hadrian’s wall.
RA
Sofia Olivares
she/her
Elective: Book Club/Board Games
Sofia Olivares is a Classical Philology student at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She previously attended academy in MMXIX, and this is her first year returning as an RA. Through Hollins, Sofia has been able to study abroad both in Greece and Rome, both of which helped deepen her already expansive love for the Classical world. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, Sofia loves to take long walks, curate playlists, and hang out with her cat, Misha.