Eleanor G. Walsh has developed a passion for studying the classics — Latin and Greek languages and cultures. She desires to "instill my passion for the classics" into like-minded students as a college professor of classics someday.

Walsh, a senior at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, is well on her way to fulfilling that goal.

For the past two years, she has been a student at The Lancaster Center for Classical Studies. She enrolled there after taking Latin and a course in etymology, covering Latin, Greek and the history of the English language, through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer program offered at Franklin & Marshall College.

As a middle-schooler, she had been influenced by the fact that her mother had once studied classics at F&M.

"We always had a lot of Latin and Greek books strewn around the house," recalls the 17-year-old. Once she started those studies, she was hooked.

Walsh appreciates how, at the Lancaster Center, teachers Laurie and Peter Brown "don't just teach me the language. They teach me broader ways of learning."

This past semester, through L-S's Early to College program, Walsh took Ancient Greek 101 at F&M. Last year, she took an introduction to philosophy course at Harrisburg Area Community College.

This young lover of language, who is fascinated by how languages such as Latin developed, plans to study classics and linguistics as an undergraduate. She is interested in such universities as Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Tufts, the University of Vermont and Barnard and Macalester colleges.

She plans to earn a doctorate, incorporating research into languages. The Celtic language is one language interest.

She would like to teach at the university level. "I have the dream of teaching at Oxford," she says, referring to the esteemed English university.

Fittingly, Walsh took a high school course on Shakespeare as a junior and is secretary of the school's Shakespeare Club, which is new this year. She is intrigued by how Shakespeare "made up his own words," influencing the English language.

Walsh, who also enjoys writing poetry, won a Silver Key in last year's Scholastic Writing Awards.

A top student — ranked 10th out of about 260 students — Walsh is a member of the National Honor Society, and she is National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Having taken all of the school's German courses, she also has tackled Advanced Placement English and advanced grammar.

In addition to an AP art history online course, she will take AP probability and statistics this semester. She also will do a work-study assisting English teacher Jeff Marsh.

At L-S, Walsh is a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, serving as treasurer the past three years. As a junior, she was the first GSA representative to compete for fair queen at the West Lampeter Community Fair. She got involved with the group because "I think it's important for us to become a place where people can feel like they can be themselves without any fear of being made fun of or anything like that."

A former chorus member, Walsh has participated in school musicals, starting last year as an ensemble member of "Fiddler on the Roof." This spring, she will be Mrs. Squires in "The Music Man."

She also participates in the school art club, and she did some writing for the yearbook. Earlier in high school, she was on the track and field team as a discus thrower.

Walsh also has been a member of the L-S varsity cheerleading squad since her sophomore year, cheering for the football team.

An only child, she is the daughter of Alan and Marjie Walsh, Lancaster.