It is exhilarating-and a little exhausting-to sift through Sarah (Knapp) Palumbo's diverse accomplishments as a high school Latin teacher. For those who know her, the tag "bundle of endless energy" is no hyperbole. Sarah received her B.A. degrees in Latin and Sociology at the UA in 1997, where she also minored in History and earned Secondary Teaching Certification in both Latin and History. In 2001, she received her Master's of Education from NAU, and in 2004 earned an M.A. in Latin from the University of Florida through its distance-learning program. She has almost single-handedly revitalized Latin and Classical Studies in the Phoenix area (and been featured in many newspaper stories for doing so), where she has taught at Seton Catholic High School in Chandler and Desert Vista High School in Ahwatukee. During her stewardship of the Arizona Junior Classical League, the organization drew hundreds of high school and middle school students from across the state to its annual convention, which was often hosted at the UA. Sarah (pictured above with her husband Brad on the acropolis in Athens) is an inveterate traveler, and has taken fourteen trips to Italy alone, most of these accompanied by students. She and Brad have two children, Adrian and Mia.
We interviewed her by email:
What are your fondest memories of your time in the department?
My fondest memories of the department are doing Latin outreach at the UA and at various schools in Tucson. I was also given the opportunity to study with Reginald Foster (the founder of Aestiva Romae Latinitas and the Pope's principal Latinist) in Rome during the summer and had a fabulous time.
What about your studies in Classics at UA has benefited you most in your subsequent career?
I have been employed as a full-time Latin teacher since February 1997! Every day I can pass on what I learned in the Department of Classics to eager high school students, and I also travel with them to various ancient sites in Europe. And I have had the wonderful opportunity of helping students expand their love of Latin by attending the various state and national Latin competitions sponsored by the Arizona Junior Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. I love what I do, and I cannot imagine doing anything else!
Are there any special projects you are currently working on?
Yes: Latin for Little Kids. My students are currently teaching Latin to the three- and four-year-olds enrolled in our on-campus preschool. Once a week, the preschoolers, togated of course, journey to ancient Rome and learn about many different things, such as animals' names and colors in Latin, mythological monsters, and monuments. I am also involved with the Collegiate Scholars Program at ASU (I feel like I am cheating on you all), and am a Dual Enrollment Instructor for Rio Salado College.
You can visit Sarah's Desert Vista High School website at: http://staff.tuhsd.k12.az.us/spalumbo/
