MEET THE BOARD
Bella Gainey
President
Class of 2025
School: Northside College Prep
Any Pronouns
Hi all! I’m Bella, and I’m this years ILJCL President! Im so excited to be back to serve you guys for another term! I’m a junior and a third year Latin student at Northside College Prep in Chicago. When I’m not doing board-ing things, you'll probably find me doing some other extracurricular, whether it be attending an after-school club, taking an extra class, dancing, or participating in a school sport. I love learning, and have a problem staying still for too long. I love to yap, so please come up and talk to me at ILJCL events!
Likes: Exploring Chicago with friends, thrifting, photography, ceramics, learning and reading about topics that interest me, trying new foods, cats, and the color green
Favorite Latin Quote: “Ad meliora"
Gavin Leech
1st Vice President
Class of 2025
School: Collinsville High School
He/him
Salvete omnes! I’m Gavin, I’m a junior at Collinsville High School in southern Illinois;
I have been studying latin for three years all the way up to the point of AP Latin. I am this year’s 1st Vice President and I’m so excited to see all you guys at convention!!! As 1st VP, it is my duty to promote and encourage membership into the lovely and omnipotent ILJCL. Outside of my duties I play trombone in many different musical ensembles both in my high school and in my community.
Likes: jazz, money, pizza, trombone, Star Wars, Latin, and the moon
Favorite Latin Quote: Facilis Descensus Averno
Christopher Morris
2nd Vice President
Class of 2025
School: Saint Ignatius College Prep
Hello my name is Chris Morris, I’m a third year Latin student and a junior at Saint Ignatius College Prep, as well as the second VP this year. My role includes everything related to service projects and spirit for all ILJCL events. If I’m not working on something classics related I’ll probably be doing one of my many extracurriculars like football, wrestling, and Boy Scouts, or working on my car. In my rare moments of free time I love to read. No matter what else I have going on I always make time to go hiking, fishing, and camping a few times a year.
Likes: hiking, fishing, camping, reading, and working on cars; favorite color is black; favorite food is barbecue
Favorite Latin quote: Sunt corpora in flumine
Eric Chen
Communications Coordinator
Class of 2025
School: Walter Payton College Prep
He/him
Hello! I'm Eric, this year's Communications Coordinator, and I'll be managing the website and taking notes during board meetings. I'm a junior currently self-studying Latin!
Likes: Linguistics, web development, singing, learning & teaching Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese!
Favorite Latin quote: "Quid enim proderit homini, si lucretur mundum totum et detrimentum animæ suæ faciat ?"
Chloe Lawson
Parliamentarian
Class of 2025
School: Northside College Prep
Pronouns: She/They
Hobbies: Collecting records, going to the gym, and reading absurdist literature (currently).
Likes: Steak tacos with/ cilantro and sleeping while it's raining.
Dislikes: being late and people who walk slowly on the sidewalk (anywhere for that matter...LOL)
Fav Latin Quote: 「Cogitō ergo sum.」- Descartes
Graduating Class: Northside College Prep Junior, '25
Alicia Myoung
Historian
Class of 2027
School: Whitney Young
Greetings, I am Alicia Myoung. I am a student of Stevenson High School and my role is the Historian. The Historian is mainly responsible for documenting the ILJCL events that occur throughout their time in this role, as well as the ILJCL newsletter, the Nuntius. I have a handful of hobbies, such as drawing and playing TTRPGs. I like reading and researching information about mythologies, I participate in Certamen and have managed to move onto state.