Student Achievement Feature: Tori Nielsen
CAL Student Tori Nielsen's interview on CAMWS Latin Translation Award & Maurine Dallas Watkins Exams Award
What were your awards?
CAMWS College- Level Latin Contest, Advanced Level: Earned a book award with the 13th highest score
National Maurine Dallas Watkins Translation exam: Won 3rd place in the nation
What is your major/ minor, and expected graduation date?
Classical Studies with an emphasis in Latin. I will graduate Winter 2025.
How did you choose your major?
I studied Latin in high school, and figured I would keep it up as a hobby by getting a minor. However, as I continued studying at BYU, I fell even more in love with the ancient languages and cultures.
Why did you decide to compete in the National Maurine Dallas Watkins Exams & the CAMWS Latin Translation Exam?
The worst case scenario that could happen was I wouldn't place and the tests would give me a headache. The best, would be that I could place and earn some money. These tests are also a great way to quantify language skills that are difficult to measure outside of grades. BYU has a great Classics program and I was proud to not only represent the hard work that I had put in, but the expertise and effort of my professors who have taught me over the years.
"Comparative Arts & Letters majors know how to be analytical. We know how to recognize and discuss patterns."
Torni Nielsen, Classics student. Graduation 2025
What did you have to do to prepare?
Preparation looked like putting a lot of time into my regular Greek and Latin classes. I spent hours before and after class working on translation material, diving into dictionaries and grammar books, and creating and memorizing hundreds of flashcards. For the CAMWS Latin test especially, I spent time skimming the list of common vocabulary that I knew would not be provided on the exams.
Did you have a favorite moment of the exams? What was one thing you learned from these experiences?
I was reminded that vocabulary is the bane of a good Classical student. My proudest moments were probably when I manage to construe the meanings of words I didn't know based solely on the context of the story and/ or from linguistically-related words. I enjoy translating because it feels like a puzzle on two levels. First, you discover what is going on grammatically, and then you figure out what is going on narratively. I was also reminded that time moves quickly when you're trying to craft a good translation!
How has a major within the CAL department helped you to prepare for achievements like these?
Comparative Arts & Letters majors know how to be analytical. We know how to recognize and discuss patterns. This is helpful both for understanding languages ourselves and creating clear translations for others.
Any additional comments?