“Giving Up On Never Giving”
by Elia Rae McKnight, Class of 2023
This is Elia’s final article for the LCCTC Eagle. We’d like to thank her for her diligence, her creativity, her verbosity, and all of the other wonderful traits she gave to every piece of writing for the Eagle. We wish her the best of luck in the future! We are certain that it will be a wonderful life!
As he sits before the chess board, Raymond Palmer displays the discipline required to master the strategic game. To manipulate chess so well, one must think about the long run, being able to anticipate your opponent’s moves. Like his approach to the game, Palmer has adopted this “long-run” mindset about his education and post-secondary life.
Raymond Palmer is an Oil and Gas student from New Castle. He may have been a tad wary about the CTC when he joined us halfway through his junior year. However, since then both he and the school have proven themselves to one another - in an interview, Palmer reveals how he’s been positively impacted by the uplifting environment:
“I love that the school encourages its kids to find what they’re passionate about and have a plan after graduation. It’s really given me a perspective of the world I’ve never thought about before it made me realize I needed to do something after graduation. Another thing that stood out to me when I first came is how diverse the atmosphere is - there’s opportunity everywhere.”
When he was only playing football for New Castle High School, Palmer said he didn’t think about much else. But, when circumstances changed, his father helped direct him toward the LCCTC for a chance to learn something that may help him in the future. At first, like many incoming students, he was nervous that his experience at our school would be no different from the one at his homeschool. Thanks to his willingness to step outside of his comfort zone in cooperation with our amazing teachers, Palmer has changed his work ethic and mentality for the better while learning a trade. He even says that his shop unnerved him at first glance, but when he gave it his best he fell in love with the program. After graduating, he plans to pursue work in the Oil and Gas field, whether that be expanding his education at the New Castle School of Trades or going straight onto the job site. His favorite part of his shop class time is utilizing the large sledgehammer collection amassed by Mr. Parsons.
Overall, Palmer’s experience here is preparing him for the world of work that’s waiting for students after high school. He’s gained valuable knowledge and has proven his hard work ethic while learning from his mistakes and maximizing his potential. More importantly, he’s gained the confidence to be himself and do his best wherever he goes. As he states, he’s “giving up on never giving . . . a darn.” And it’s working because he is learning.
We are so proud to claim such diligent students like Raymond as our own, and even more thankful to witness their growth. Never stop being the inspiration you are to those around you!
We are rising LCCTC!
