Gatesville Independent School District seniors shoot for the stars

BY lAuReN DODD KILLEEN DAILy HERALD

Two Gatesville seniors are ending their high school careers with bright hopes for the future.

Gatesville High School valedictorian Rachel Conner, 18, daughter of David and Elke Conner, said she is excited to study cellular and molecular biology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock next fall.

The senior said she was drawn to the study of genetics thanks to a professor, Ms. Clawson, at Texas Bioscience Institute.

Her goal, Conner said, is to become a genetics counselor one day.

Conner will be ahead of many of her Texas Tech freshman peers after having earned an associate degree through Temple College this year.

“I’m feeling pretty excited,” she said. “Since I’ve gone through the TBI program I feel more prepared to do the college work up there. I’m looking forward to it.”

The senior said earning the title of valedictorian was always a goal she hoped to achieve.

Time management, she said, was the key in attaining her goal.

“For me it was just keeping up with the hard work and making sure that I made time for everything,” she said.