Petsche, Pruzinskis are Clarke Valedictorians
Tessa Petsche and Ina Pruzinskis are valedictorians for the Clarke University Class of 2016.
Petsche, who lives in Dubuque, is originally from Monona, Iowa, where she attended MFL Mar Mac High School. She majored in Psychology at Clarke. She is the daughter of Jim and Lisa Petsche.
“Clarke offers a huge opportunity for personal growth,” said Petsche. “Whether it was through self-reflection and self-improvement I experienced in my Psychology classes, the spiritual growth I experienced in my religion classes, or the leadership skills I acquired with each group project and presentation, I am certainly not the same person I was when I began this journey. What I value most about my time at Clarke is how much I learned about myself in the process. This experience was a life-changer for me and I leave with a renewed sense of self and confidence which I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Petsche completed her course work in December and is currently employed with Holy Family Catholic Schools in Dubuque. She plans to work toward a master’s degree.
Pruzinskis, who was born in Sterling Heights, Mich., is the daughter of Juris and Ilga Pruzinskis. Her family now lives in Janesville, Wis., where she graduated from Craig High School. She majored in Elementary Education at Clarke with endorsements in Special Education and Reading. She minored in Spanish.
“The things I enjoyed most about my time at Clarke were playing on the soccer team, education classes and the Professional Development School block at Fulton, Table Mound and St. Anthony’s elementary schools, and the memories I made with lifelong friends.”
Pruzinskis will complete her master of arts in Education in the next year through Clarke’s 4+1 program. She then plans to be a classroom teacher.
Clarke’s 173 Commencement will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Robert and Ruth Kehl Center on the Clarke campus.
For more information, contact the Clarke University Marketing and Communication Office at (563)588-6318.