by Colton Musselman and Claire Jalboot

This week, we had the pleasure of catching up with Mrs. Tricia Kratz, a Class of 1999 Alumni. Currently working in the biotech industry, she lives in Boston with her husband, Jim, and two daughters. When asked about her favorite memories from high school, Kratz loved playing sports with friends (specifically lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball) and hanging out after school.

Her passion for science was sparked by her seventh grade teacher, Mr. Close, and further developed by her high school physics teacher, Mr. Calamia. Calamia taught her the importance of thinking critically. She remembers him always saying “I’m from Missouri” (given that it is the “show me state”), and he would reinforce the value of proving why something is true. And we can’t forget about Mr. Engard, who is still a beloved teacher at Souderton. His business law class taught Kratz how to have fun while learning.

After graduating from Souderton, she obtained her bachelor's degree at Penn State with a minor in business. She then worked for 8 years before pursuing her MBA at Saint Joseph's University. Now, Kratz works for a small biotech company, Kymera Therapeutics, as a project manager. She works specifically with clinical trials, and supervises the project teams to make sure that all parts of a trial are being attended to.

One of the highlights of her career was being on a team that successfully filed a drug that was approved! She hopes to have this opportunity again, as this drug is not currently being sold on the market. Another rewarding part of her job is beating deadlines that others didn't think possible.

With her children attending other school districts and living in Boston, Kratz has gained a broad perspective from various school districts. One thing that stands out about Souderton is the opportunities outside of typical academics. She mentioned the home economics classes including shop, sewing and cooking that are not offered at all schools.

Kratz's best piece of advice for current high school students is to not "underestimate the power of hard work". She believes that if you stay diligent for the next few years, work hard through college and the first few years in your career, it will set you up for success later in life.

And don’t worry, even though she’s in Boston now, she’s still an Eagles fan!