Meet the Class of 2024 salutatorian Kathryn Joslin

Class of 2024 salutatorian Kathryn Joslin, a senior currently at the end of their high school career. 
Class of 2024 salutatorian Kathryn Joslin, a senior currently at the end of their high school career. 

Meet the Class of 2024 salutatorian Kathryn Joslin, a senior currently at the end of their high school career.  Learn about their commitment to the music department, their future pathway after high school, and their advice for today’s high school students as they navigate their interests at the secondary school.

This fall, they plan on pursuing their interests at the State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY Binghamton), majoring in psychology.  Today, we are sharing their Q&A with the BKW community.

How will you remember your time at BKW?

I’ve accomplished a lot during my time at BKW, and the majority of such time is highlighted by my participation in the district’s music department playing Bass Clarinet.  I will also remember the numerous AP courses that I took while at BKW, as well as the in-depth and intellectual discussions that I had with my fellow peers while taking said classes.  Some of my fondest memories of the school have originated from such discussions and classes.  The many volunteer opportunities and activities that the school offers will also be similarly remembered, such things allowing my connections and friendships with fellow students and teachers to develop.

How did your experiences at BKW help shape your future pathway?

In elementary school, I became aware of the lack of support services, specifically that of counselors, available to aid with mental health.  I quickly realized that the issue was a more global thing, the field of psychology lacking psychologists and counselors as a whole.  Being a child who would have benefited from such support, I recognized the opportunity and became fixated on the idea of becoming a psychologist.  When I began my junior year of high school, I took AP Psychology, which only served to strengthen my conviction to pursue psychology at a professional level.  Doing more research into the job field, I would reach out to Dr. Kate, a psychologist who used to work at BKW, and, after many discussions, found that clinical psychology was the area of study that best aligned with my own career goals. 

Advice for BKW high school students?

I would say pursue your interests.  Always ask your school counselor, administrator, or teacher to see if there are areas that you can pursue for learning.  It might be distance learning programs with other schools, forming a new club or activity, or gaining access to resources to help your interest grow.  Advocating for yourself can be incredibly difficult, especially when it seems that there is absolutely nothing you can do; however, there is a lot that one can accomplish by simply making inquiries in the right places.  Make the change you want for yourself.