KC grads cite past, eye future
KARNS CITY — Karns City High School graduates celebrated their coming-of-age achievement Thursday night with hugs, tears, selfies and silly string.
The 105 graduates have plans to attend college, trade school and enter the workforce.
Between a frenzy of hugs and photographs before the ceremony, students thought about the things they would miss most.
Influential teachers played a big role.
“They're always there,” said Carley Boice, who will attend Penn State DuBois, studying to be an occupational therapy assistant.
“They actually care about the students. They take time to know us,” said Jamie Campbell, who will study biology at Slippery Rock University.
She specifically mentioned a few of the science teachers having impacted her life most.
“They're the ones that convinced me to be a bio major,” Campbell said.
One of the senior speakers, Emily Schumacher, hopped on crutches to the stage to speak. Her left leg bore a purple cast, reminiscent of the school colors.
“This has been a truly glorious 13-year excursion,” she said to her fellow graduates. “Our time at Karns City has prepared us for the great beyond.”
She plans to study neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh this fall.
Another student speaker, Emily Jones, talked about a family tragedy she faced, a house fire in 2010, that helped her grow as a person.
“We must seek the good out of bad situations,” she said.
Meanwhile, Amber Bortmes struggled with POTS Syndrome throughout high school, but her mother said she's done well despite that.
“We had a long road. It's been a struggle,” said Rena Bortmes.
“Knowing she got this far, I don't know whether to cry or to laugh,” she said.
Like her, her daughter Amber has plans to become a nurse. She'll be studying at Mt. Aloysius College.
One Karns City graduate, Drew Barnhart, was not present at the ceremony because she's been studying in Switzerland since August through the Rotary Club.
“I'm sorry she missed tonight, but she's had a wonderful time in Switzerland,” said her mother, Jodale Barnhart, who picked up the diploma on her daughter's behalf. “It's an awesome opportunity that Rotary provides for students.”
Their family is celebrating three graduations this spring. In addition to Drew's achievement, Jodale received a master's degree from Chatham University, and her older daughter, Dale, received a bachelor's from Georgetown University.
Drew, following in her sister's footsteps, will attend Georgetown this fall.
