National Junior Classical League
MC 4 2VP
Manuel Cantillo — Candidate for Second Vice President
About Me
SALVETE AMICI!! My name is Manuel Cantillo and I'm running to be your 2026–27 NJCL Second Vice President. Much like all of you, I'm a Percy Jackson–loving nerd — I grew up on Rick Riordan books and stuck with it, and ran with it. When I'm not doing JCL stuff, you'll probably find me co-captaining my Robotics team or running things as my Boy Scout troop's Senior Patrol Leader — I've just always liked being the person who gets stuff organized and helps new people feel like they belong. I've put in over 600 service hours so far, and right now I'm also working on my Eagle Scout project, which has been its own whole journey. Honestly, this all started at my first Nationals at Emory, watching my friend Natalie Allen run for National Board — that's when the idea first got stuck in my head. Then at Knoxville, watching my friend Philip Towbin run too, I finally decided it was time to stop just thinking about it and go for it myself. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I hope you all have an amazing convention!
Past Experience
Secretary
Board-level experience serving on the OJCL Executive Board — working alongside state officers, sitting in on board decisions, and learning how a state JCL runs from the inside.
Treasurer
- Ran state spirit and led the delegation to a first-place spirit win at Nationals last year
- Worked with outside organizations to set up events, including fundraisers
600+ Service Hours Logged
A consistent record of hands-on community service throughout my time in JCL.
Other Leadership Experience
- Robotics Team, Co-Captain — organized team events and helped onboard and support new members
- Boy Scouts, Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) — set up and ran troop activities, another example of the hands-on organizing experience I'd bring to the role
- Eagle Scout Project (in progress) — planning and leading a service project, adding even more hands-on service experience beyond my logged hours
My Campaign: The Three C's
Community
As a thank-you to Virginia for hosting our next National Convention, I'll spotlight Virginia-based nonprofits — including wildlife and conservation organizations — as candidates for NJCL's charitable giving.
- Launch a Google Form where JCL members can nominate causes that are personally meaningful to them, with a short statement on why it matters
- Move away from picking generic, well-known charities and toward organizations that reflect what our members actually care about
Cheers
Building a resource so no chapter ever starts spirit planning from zero.
- Compile a searchable collection of state and chapter cheers so newcomers and first-time spirit coordinators have a place to find ideas
- Introduce new spirit contest formats — like partially silent spirit, or spirit that shifts from quiet to loud in its final minutes — to show two different sides of the same atmosphere in one performance
Clubs
Recognizing the chapters that show up, every time.
- Create a new end-of-term recognition for Club of the Month submissions — celebrating clubs that consistently participate, even if they never take first place
- Make sure that steady, reliable participation is honored and not overshadowed by only ever spotlighting the top three winners
Questions, Comments & Ideas
Have any questions about my campaign or any questions you have for me? Please ask them below and I will respond to them personally at the end of every night.