Katelyn Kammers obtained her associate of arts and sciences degree through Wenatchee Valley College’s running start program in 2020. She chose WVC because she was able to earn this degree while in high school.

“This was a big help to me financially, and the staff and other students made it a very nice place to be,” she said.

Some of Katelyn’s fondest memories at WVC included study groups at the student lounge that she and her friends were involved in.

Her favorite class that she took was ornithology. “It was every Friday, and we got to go out in the field to hike out to see actual live birds and identify them by look and call,” she said. “It was super fun, I made some good friends on the bus rides, and now I get to annoy my friends by identifying birds on long car trips.”

WVC prepared Katelyn for her future goals because it gave her a jump start in her career. “Getting my AA here let me finish my bachelor’s degree much faster and earned me enough credits to start taking the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam as soon as I graduated,” she explained. “Which was a great asset when I was looking for a job and helped me get hired, as well as saved me having to spend an extra year at university trying to finish the credits.”

After graduating from WVC, Katelyn earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Central Washington University and was hired by a local CPA firm in Wenatchee, CliftonLarsonAllen.

A piece of advice Katelyn gives to WVC students is to get the most out of the college experience. “Go to classes, but also go to events on campus,” she said. “It will make college feel a lot more fun.”