The Class of 2022 has many students going against the norm with their plans after high school. A few students are deciding to move onto bigger and better things that will bring them far in their adult life.

Senior Harrison Kothe has decided that after leaving St. Dominic, he will join the fire service. It has been his dream ever since he was a kid, so he decided to look into it and thought it would be something he would love. There are a few steps he has to complete before becoming a firefighter though. He first has to get his state fire one and two certifications. Then, he needs to get his EMT certification. Kothe said it changes depending on which department you work at, but those are usually the minimum requirements. He would really like to work for the St. Louis City Fire Department and hopes to get there this summer or the next.

“I am feeling very excited and eager. I am just ready to get started as soon as possible,” Kothe said.

Next up is Machaela Byrne. In the fall, Byrne has decided that she wants to join the United States Army. She chose this route because she has felt drawn to the armed forces for her whole life. She knows that it will be an honor for her to fulfill this duty. She will be enlisted and take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and the Oath of Enlistment. She will enter into MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), then after all of her tests are done she will travel to Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training shortly after. The MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) she has chosen is 11B. This is the Infantry Division and she plans to more specifically be a paratrooper meaning she will parachute into military operations.

“I am feeling a lot of emotions, some good and some bad. Some things will be hard to leave behind and worry about, but I am honored to have this chance in life, to be a soldier and to do something that excites me and gives others hope,” Byrne said.

Last but certainly not least is senior Lacey Fowler. Fowler is still attending college like most of the students from St. Dominic, but her journey will be anything but ordinary. She is attending Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. She is majoring in dance, so when she graduates she will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with a jazz concentration. She most likely will do a double major or at least minor in something else as well. She decided to go here because she loves the dance program. This college is known for performing arts and dance, so she felt like it was a great opportunity. There are many alumni who now have professional dance jobs all over the world. Her dream job is to be on Broadway or a Radio City Rockette, so she plans to make a lot of connections while in NYC. She does not plan to participate in much at the school other than dance, but she is excited to see the opportunities granted to her while in New York.

“I am what my family calls ‘nervited.’ I am so nervous but equally excited. The excitement makes all the scariness of moving to NYC worth it. I live in such a country area where it takes 30 minutes to drive anywhere that moving to New York City where most things are just a 15 minute walk away is so different. It will be such a vast change for me, but I have always loved the city so I am thrilled. I am also sad as well, to leave all my friends both at school and dance. I’ve been at my dance studio for 14 years, so not dancing there anymore seems unreal,” Fowler said.

There are plenty of students going against the stereotypical route of going to a “normal” college. St. Dominic is so lucky to have students who set their standards so high and leave such an impact. Regardless of their plans, the year is coming to a close for the seniors and they are all moving onto a new and exciting chapter of their lives. We wish good luck to these future Crusader alumni!