Introduction to Latin and my Life as a Latin Student and Teacher

Latin was the language of the ancient Romans and consequentially has had an enormous impact on Western civilization. There are many benefits to the study of Latin even thought it is a "dead" language. 

I began my formal study of Latin in 9th grade at Baldwin High School, just south of Pittsburgh, PA. Though my elementary school, St. Elizabeth Elementary, did not offer Latin, I had it in my head from 6th or 7th grade that I wanted to study Latin. This was due in part to my interest in ancient history and my Catholic faith. My parents found "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Latin" at a local bookshop and I gleaned from it what I could, but it was difficult to make much progress without a teacher at that time.