PORT ANGELES — Perseverance and hard work helped two seniors at Port Angeles High School make it through their high school careers and prepare for the future.
Carl Bissonette, 18, is one of the 250 graduates who will receive a diploma during tonight’s ceremony at 8 o’clock in the school’s main gymnasium at 340 E. Park Ave.
Working multiple jobs daily throughout his high school career, he arrived home to ride, train and shoe his horses.
Catalina Marcial, too, is is no stranger to hard work.
At the beginning of her junior year, the now-17-year-old started full time in the Running Start program.
She is graduating from high school tonight — and is only about four classes short of earning an associate’s college degree.
Passionate about horses since he was about 10, Bissonette has ridden in junior rodeo, youth rodeo and one professional rodeo — Northwest Professional Rodeo Association.
He wants to ride in more pro rodeos.
“I’ll see how far this will take me and go as far as I can,” he said.
And he hopes to support his adventures by becoming a dentist.
Bissonette plans to attend Central Washington University before applying to medical school.
“I really wanted a job that paid well and had hours you could schedule yourself, so I thought being a dentist would be perfect,” he said.