About Us
Creator and Owner: Rishi Sadanandan
As a 19-year-old sophomore at Stanford University originally from Tampa, Florida, I've discovered an enduring passion for Latin, a journey that took its first steps back when I was in 6th grade. Over the years, Latin has grown to be much more than just a subject to me; it has reshaped my life, refining my grasp on grammar, enhancing my reading skills, and altering my worldview in profound ways.
When the time came to prepare for the SAT/ACT exams, Latin became my secret weapon. After hours of hard work and dedication, I managed to score near perfect. It was clear to me then that Latin wasn't just an ancient language; it was an overlooked treasure in modern education, especially in schools around me.
Fueled by this realization, I rolled up my sleeves and created a unique 10-day program. This program dives into the rich world of Latin and its impact on standardized tests. My mission? To make Latin learning and SAT/ACT prep accessible for all students, regardless of their resources.
I am passionate about bringing Latin back to life and helping others understand its value in today's education. That's why my organization offers free tools and education to anyone who wants to introduce Latin into their community.
Leading this initiative fills me with immense pride. It's not just about my love for Latin; it's about creating opportunities for those who need them. As I look to the future of "A Dead Language Comes Alive," I'm filled with an authentic excitement. My aim is to empower every student to feel prepared for college and confident in their Latin studies—because we all deserve the same opportunities. Let's change the world, one Latin word at a time.
President (2024-2025): Skip Eckhard
As an incoming senior at Berkeley Preparatory School, my passion for the Latin language has been a defining aspect of my academic journey. When I began studying Latin four years ago, I was captivated by its richness and history. What started as just a way to fulfill my language requirement blossomed into a newfound passion for classical studies, an interest that has shaped my scholastic experience.
Although I am fortunate to attend a school with such an extensive Latin program, many students do not have this privilege. Through my experience volunteering and tutoring in the Town & Country area, I have been exposed to the depth of educational inequality in underprivileged areas. Through A Dead Language Comes Alive, I aim to use my Latin knowledge to lower educational barriers and help students build confidence. I seek to share my love for Latin while also equipping others with essential skills that learning Latin can provide.
Learning Latin has not only refined my understanding of grammar and vocabulary but also enhanced my critical thinking and analytical skills, all of which proved to be invaluable when I began preparing for standardized testing. I realized that my Latin background gave me a distinct advantage in tackling the language and reading sections of these exams. Latin’s intricate structure and extensive vocabulary allowed me to succeed on these standardized tests.
My commitment to community service, combined with my passion for the Latin language, led me to be interested in A Dead Language Comes Alive. I am more than excited about the 10-day program at RCMA and am confident that these students will walk away with a general knowledge of Latin that will be useful to them in their future educational endeavors.
Latin is often perceived as a 'dead' language, but its relevance in the modern world is undeniable. The benefits of learning Latin extend far beyond the classroom, and I believe that every student should have the opportunity to learn the language, regardless of socioeconomic status. Through "A Dead Language Comes Alive," I aim to make this treasure accessible to all, inspiring others to discover the profound benefits of Latin for themselves.
Curriculum Director (2024-2025): Gaby Hernandez
When I first started learning Latin, I knew little about the language other than what I had read in the many books Rick Riordan wrote. I’ll admit, learning ancient Latin seemed very cool back then. Now that I’m in my 7th year of Latin, I have realized how influential and descriptive the language is—still cool. The club, the competitions, and even the class have provided me with valuable opportunities that I have luckily been afforded. Taking the class has taught me invaluable lessons, especially essential study skills.
However, few schools offer this educational opportunity. As a dead language, many see learning Latin as a loss compared to learning a spoken language. However, this needs to be addressed for the many reasons for continuing to teach and learn this language. It improves comprehension of the structure of the English language, as English largely comes from Latin. This, at least for me, has greatly helped with the standardized tests I have taken. Moreover, it helps you learn from ancient scholars who wrote incredibly influential texts—straight from the source. Regardless of all of that, it’s a greatly fun language to learn.
I hope to continue inspiring kids to learn Latin, and luckily, I have been given the chance to. I can not imagine how different my life would have been had I not taken the chance and learned Latin. In A Dead Language Comes Alive, we teach Latin to kids who otherwise may not have been given a chance to. We aim to give these students a path to the Latin language and inspire them to continue. With them, this dead language becomes more alive.
President (2023-2024) : Radhik Wickramasinghe
At 18, stepping into my freshman year at Harvard College, I've been immersed in Latin since 6th grade. Born and raised in Tampa Bay, my love for Latin has taken me to every competition I could attend. My journey intertwined with "A Dead Language Comes Alive" when I crossed paths with its creator, Rishi.
While preparing for my SATs, I noticed something remarkable - my Latin roots were giving me an edge. I felt a connection with this program's mission, realizing its potential to empower students, just as Latin had empowered me during my standardized testing. Motivated by this vision, I reached out to Rishi and became part of this movement.
As summer dawned before my senior year, I had the privilege to bring this 10-day program to life for a group of students in Tampa Bay. Most of these students came from migrant and low-income families, yet their drive to learn was unstoppable. The experience of witnessing their growth in both Latin and SAT/ACT skills was nothing short of phenomenal.
Teaching this bright, motivated group was a pleasure, and their progress was deeply rewarding. I firmly believe this program has the power to shape the future of countless students. Being part of such a transformative journey fills me with gratitude. I'm committed to making a difference and eager to empower many more students in the future. Because I know that, together, we can change lives—one Latin word at a time.
Vice President (2023-2024): Preston Rodriguez
As a 18 year-old beginning my freshman year at the University of Chicago, I’ve been committed to growing my impact as a leader in the Latin American community in Tampa, Florida. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I was invited to join A Dead Language Comes Alive by its creator, Rishi, to expand the program. Well, what did that look like?
Reaching out to over ten elementary and middle schools in the Tampa area, I had countless meetings with administration to find a place to expand the non-profit. The new target audience? Latin Americans. I wanted to expand these critical learning opportunities to as many Latin American children as possible because our program will help rule out difficulties they experience in the language barrier.
Eventually, I found Webb Middle School, a school composed of over 90% Hispanic/Latinx students, many of whom recently immigrated to the United States. Therefore, I decided to integrate Spanish into the curriculum, connecting it to Latin prefixes, conjugations, and vocab to make learning both Latin and English easier for these children.
Soon, I realized how similar Spanish, English, and Latin were to one another, partly because both Spanish and English are derived from Latin. More importantly, I was able to teach kids struggling with English how to figure out the meaning of words by using their native language of Spanish to make connections between prefixes and suffixes from Latin and apply them to English words.
Realizing the impact I’ve been able to make in these kid’s lives has given me a new maturity in my world perspective and a motivation for my future endeavors.
Curriculum Director (2023-2024): Aaron Xiong
As an 18-year-old in my freshman year at Yale College, I’ve been passionate about Latin and the classics since first introduced seven years ago. Having been obsessed with the Percy Jackson series in sixth grade, I found it only natural to choose to learn Latin. Fortunately, Berkeley offered exactly what I wanted, and so much more. Looking back, I can safely say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made academically. The competitions, club meetings, and geeky yet fun conventions have become some of my favorite memories throughout my middle and high school years.
Unfortunately, the majority of schools do not offer Latin as a course. This stems from a variety of factors, but one of the main reasons is that many see Latin as a dead language and nothing more. Yet, this simply isn’t true. At the basis of several English roots and prefixes, Latin has been crucial to my comprehension of language structure, allowing me to succeed on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT.
I began asking myself: how can I change this? And when I crossed paths with Rishi and the A Dead Language Comes Alive organization, I knew I had to get involved.
I’ve since had the opportunity to co-teach two separate chapters, both to underserved communities of middle schoolers. And by the end of each program, the growth and development in these classrooms were astonishing - particularly in the grammar and vocabulary sections of distributed tests.
The experience of teaching these classes was unparalleled - each group of bright, driven students reminded me of my sixth-grade self when first being introduced to the Latin language. I’m excited for what the future holds for myself and other chapters of the organization - together, we can truly make a dead language come alive.