Cincinnati Enquirer Features Pair of 2004 Grads Who Were HS Valedictorians

May 24, 2010

May 24, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — "Valedictorians may be the smartest in their senior classes, but they are no different when it comes to changing career paths or doing something unexpected. That's a theme that emerged when the Enquirer caught up 10 years later with 10 valedictorians from the much-celebrated Class of 2000." Two of the ten individuals featured in the Cincinnati newspaper article went on to graduate from DePauw University in 2004 -- Deborah L. McPartlin and Loren (Faulkner) Smith (pictured at left, courtesy Cincinnati Enquirer/Amie Dworecki/).

McPartlin is an attorney with Wagner & Bloch, LLC.  At DePauw, she majored in English (writing) and went on to earn a degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2007. "I was planning on being a psychology major and going to med school. I wanted to be a psychiatrist," McPartlin tells the newspaper. She advises today's high school seniors, "The point of education isn't what you're given, but what you can take. In so many cases, people expect something is given to them or expect education is served to them. Take from all those experiences and people and situations, and use that to better yourself."

Smith majored in chemistry and philosophy at DePauw and is currently at the University of Cincinnati in a combined Ph.D. and M.D. physician scientist program with a goal of being a researcher and physician. While a student at DePauw, she lost her mother, Wendy, who was in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Loren Smith tells students, "Whenever you go through something hard or painful it will either make you better or make you worse, and you'll decide which. Most of the time you decide what effect it will have on your life."

She adds, "Dream until you discover your passion, the thing you love to do more than anything else. Then take a more practical approach and figure out how you can use your talents and skills to transform that passion into a viable career."

Find the complete text -- "Catching up, 10 years later" -- at the Web site of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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