When Kris Wiltsey entered the Science Olympiad, he immersed himself in an event dedicated entirely to biology, chemistry and technology.
Just the place for a student who spent most of his high school career in the tech-ed room.
A self-proclaimed "science nerd," Wiltsey graduates this evening from Conestoga Valley High School. Wiltsey, the youngest of two sons of Thomas and Jody Wiltsey, will attend Alvernia College in the fall, where he plans to double major in computers and forensic science.
With his love for science comes an enthusiasm not many of his classmates at Conestoga Valley can share, Wiltsey said. And the Science Olympiad allowed him to immerse himself in his favorite subject area.
"It was really fun to do," Wiltsey said. "I'd never done anything like that before, with a whole place designed around the sciences. It was a great experience for me."
The Olympiad consisted of events from various scientific fields, including Wiltsey's favorites: chemistry, biology and physics. These subjects will aid him the most, he said, in his pursuit of becoming a forensic scientist.
Wiltsey said watching shows such as "CSI" and "Bones" spurred his interest in forensics.
"I'm a huge 'CSI' fan," Wiltsey said. "It made me want to do lab stuff like what they did on TV to try and solve cases and stuff like that.
"Then as I followed up in researching the field, I decided I didn't want to do field work, but that I'd fit right in in the labs."
To prepare himself for the profession, Wiltsey took as many courses in chemistry, biology and physics as he could throughout his high school career. His method of getting the most out of his classes was simple: don't miss any.
Since he started kindergarten more than 12 years ago, Wiltsey has not missed a single day of school. He attributed this streak largely to good luck.
"I didn't really get sick all that much, so I had no excuse not to go," Wiltsey said. "Whenever I did get a little sick, it was never bad enough that I couldn't just stick it out...and get through it."
When he's not in a science class, Wiltsey said, chances are he's in the tech room. Wiltsey helps the tech-ed department set up equipment and arrange events.
Wiltsey also wrote the scripts for the school's morning news show. He said he arrived about an hour before school to work the administration's announcements into a 15-minute script.
Although he enjoys doing tech work, Wiltsey said it's unlikely he'll continue to pursue it in college.
"Right now, I just want to focus on my school work," Wiltsey said.
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