Valedictorian Speech: Katilyn Bober
by Kaitlyn Bober, Valedictorian Class of 2022 (Veterinary Assistant)
Who are we? That is a great question. We've spent the last 13 years of our lives trying to prepare for that, but it isn't something that you can just Google. Well, you can Google it, but make sure that you turn on the safe search first. There is no telling what your results might be.
Fellow graduates, I want you to know what a great gift it is to be as prepared as we are, because not all schools offer such an advantage. Some of us will choose majors and pay extra when we decide to change it, while others of us will choose careers and realize it’s not our passion, but in the end, we have gained valuable experience. Whether you intend to continue your education or not, you will benefit from everything you learned here at LCCTC. We all come from different backgrounds, yet we are one school, one class of 2022. We have worked together and learned together, and now it is time to make our own paths.
As we bust through this new adventure in our lives that some call being a grown up, I call the end of freeloading, we will make mistakes. Honestly, we will probably just learn how to live on Ramen noodles. We will continue to make mistakes throughout life, but all these things will make us grow and change. Our mistakes will become as important as our successes because they will help define us.
Teachers, your passion and dedication has helped us to realize that being first in line isn't a life or death situation. And thank you for understanding that dogs can eat anything from homework to gym shorts. Faculty, thank you for putting up with us from our crazy fun teenager days to raging hormonal breakdowns. Through it all, you have been our rocks. So as we take this final walk out of the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, we commend you all for helping us to answer the question of who we are, and who we want to be. Class of 2022, let's go out into the world and do our best!
To listen to Katie’s Valedictorian speech, click here: KAITLYN
No one can deny that Katie is an animal lover, so when it was time came for her to decide to remain at her home school or attend LCCTC for Veterinary Assistant, we know the choice she made! She has raised funds for Stick Up for Paws during Dog Days — covered head to toe in dog fur, but by the end of the day, she still left school with a smile. She volunteers with Tails of Hope Spay and Neuter Clinic. She has worked at Apple Grove Veterinary Clinic, Living Treasures Wild Animal Park, and currently works at the Lawrence County Humane Society. She earned Master Showman through 4H at the Lawrence County Fair last summer. When she’s not working with animals, she’s competing with FFA earning The Gift of Blue and with SkillsUSA as a Pennsylvania State Gold Medalist on the Opening and Closing Team. Yes — Katie is quite a busy young person, but she knows how to prioritize — with her nose in the books and her eyes on her goals. Having taken Dual Enrollment through BC3, she has already earned 12 college credits and will transfer these four classes with her when she attends California University of Pennsylvania for a dual major in Veterinary Technology and Molecular Biology in the fall.