Life for Ryann Wiktorko came full circle when she returned to her hometown of Ticonderoga, NY, to become a group tour director and communications coordinator at Fort Ticonderoga. Her journey started as a CFES Scholar at Ticonderoga High School leading to her decision to attend North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, NY, where she received an associate’s degree in human and social sciences. Wiktorko, who eventually received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Buffalo State College, returned home three years ago to work at Fort Ticonderoga – a nonprofit educational organization and museum. She credits Perseverance as the most helpful Essential Skill throughout college and during her career. “The thought of being the first child in the family to go to college pushed me to keep going,” she says. “After losing my dad at the age of 16, I wanted nothing more than to make him proud.”