More than 100 Pattonville High School students were recognized at the 2nd Annual White Coat Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 8. At this event, students taking the Biomedical Science class were rewarded for their achievements in this college-level course.

It is a tradition for third-year students in this Biomedical Program to receive a special lab coat with their name on it.

“It felt great to finally get my white coat because I have been waiting for it for three years now,” junior Emily Ta said. “Ever since I started the program, I was looking forward to getting my coat.”

The fourth-year students in this program received a laboratory notebook for them to use in their post-high school career, where many of them will be pursuing a career in the medical field.

Pattonville High School is one of the few schools in this area to offer this accelerated program, which upon completion, all students will receive a Life Science Laboratory Assistant Certificate.

“I am so fortunate that that I go to a high school that offers this program,” Ta said. “What they teach us in these classes are useful in our career and we as students have had the opportunity to get more medical connections which gives us a better chance of getting accepted into a medical school.”