For his senior thesis “Foretastes of Glory: Christian Creativity and the Quest for Beauty,” Campbell Leiloglou explored the sacred role of art in the Church.
In part one of this series, we spoke to Campbell about how he approached the rigorous yet rewarding task of developing and presenting his thesis. In this installment, he reflects on winning the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) 2025 Chrysostom Oratory Competition, presenting at ACCS and sharing wisdom for students embarking on their own thesis.
How did your previous Wilson Hill classes prepare you for this task?
The Great Conversation courses helped me the most. In TGC, you write a lot of papers. Going in, I had no idea how to make an argument or write one well. In TGC, I don’t think you realize you’re being prepared to speak well and to articulate your ideas in a concise, elegant and convincing way.
How did you grow during this process?
Speaking in front of a live audience? I never would’ve thought I could do that before this year. Coming into the first couple weeks of Senior Thesis, that was beyond anything I could imagine, and somehow it happened. Senior Thesis really increased my confidence.
What was it like to defend your thesis in front of your teachers and peers?
I was scared, but I didn’t feel unprepared. Mr. Choi gave us plenty of opportunities to practice our speeches. Being nervous is a good thing. Feeling unprepared, though, is not. That was the real blessing of this experience; it prepared us. We were as ready as we possibly could be.
We submitted your thesis presentation to the Association of Classical Christian Schools 2025 Chrysostom Oratory Competition, and you won! Then you had the opportunity to present your thesis live at the 2025 ACCS conference this summer. What was your experience like presenting at the conference?
I was incredibly surprised when Dr. Vierra reached out to say they were considering using my speech to represent Wilson Hill in the Chrysostom Competition. During LINK, they came up on stage and said they had just found out my speech had won the competition.
It was really cool to present at the conference. Afterward, so many people came up and told me how deeply moved they were. Some were artists in the church who had felt rejected, like there was no place for their gifts. Others said they had never really considered this facet of Christianity. There were so many other students who were just as capable—if not moreso— of winning this award, but maybe there was something in my speech that people at ACCS needed to hear. I really hope that God worked through my words and spoke to some people.
Congratulations! What was your biggest takeaway from this entire experience?
I’ve realized I’m more capable than I ever imagined. It’s not because of anything I’ve done on my own but because of prayer and supplication. With God working through me, I’ve been able to accomplish far more than I thought possible. I’ve made incredible friends through Wilson Hill, and those friendships grew even stronger through this challenging experience. Struggling together, losing inspiration, and finding it again, alongside this amazing group of people, was a true blessing.
Any advice for students embarking on their senior thesis?
I’m reminded of Psalm 90 when it says, “Teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom…to confirm for us the work of our hands.” Ultimately, that’s what this is, the work of our hands. Without God, these senior theses ultimately mean nothing. If there’s any advice I could give, it would be to number your days. That means, of course, to manage your time and to claim every single second as your own. It may not be easy, but I believe that by numbering your days, God will grant you a heart of wisdom, and that is an excellent strategy for thriving in your senior year.
Campbell lives in San Antonio and intends to pursue music composition in college. Watch his winning ACCS senior thesis here, along with Wilson Hill graduate Jillian Barr’s 2023 award-winning presentation.