Kaity Ross is a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School. She has an interest in dance and possible careers in engineering or medicine as she will be graduating from high school at 16-years-old. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Kaity Ross has a determination and drive that will see her complete high school at a younger age and propel her to study dance in New York City.

The 15-year-old is a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, having skipped a year of pre-school and the third grade. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Deanne Ross as well as the sister to Aaron Ross.

Her mother used to dance when she was younger and Ross has done it since she was 3 or 4 years old.

She wasn’t always excited about dance, but had come to love it after her first dance competition.

“I am a very competitive person and getting awards and trophies really got me into it,” she said. “Ever since then, I have always kept up with it.”

Kaity Ross, a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, was in New York City over the past summer for the Steps on Broadway Academy Summer Intensive Program. She dances locally with the PACE (Performing Arts Connection & Education) Dance Studio in Parkersburg and has danced with the Charleston Ballet Company during its annual production of “The Nutcracker” and more. (Photo Provided)

She enjoys being able to tell a story through music and movement.

Ross dances with the PACE (Performing Arts Connection & Education) Dance Studio in Parkersburg and has danced with the Charleston Ballet Company during its annual production of “The Nutcracker” and more. She also does competition pieces.

“I really like doing ‘The Nutcracker’ every year,” she said. “Ballet and contemporary dance are my favorite styles.”

During competition season, she will learn four to six dances. She enjoys more modern dance styles that are “more grounded with less technical movements.”

“It involves more artistry,” Ross said, adding many modern dances she does are done with more jazz influenced music. She really likes the arrangements done by Jackie Hovis of the Penn State Dance Team, the Lionettes.

Kaity Ross, a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, was in New York City over the past summer for the Steps on Broadway Academy. She is pictured here posing on a rock in Central Park. (Photo Provided)

Ross is involved with Parkersburg Catholic High School Student Council as the Student Activities co-coordinator with her friend Tess Roedersheimer, something they had planned to do since they were freshmen in high school.

“We plan pep rallies and all the activities that are fun for the students,” she said. “We do a lot of the Homecoming activities, dress-up days and all the activities the students like to do.

“I have always liked leadership roles. I have always liked helping out and being involved with the school.”

Ross is also in the National Honor Society. She is also in the National Dance Honor Society at her studio where she is the vice president. She is involved in the Interact Club at school which does work to help the local community, like raising money during Breast Cancer Awareness Week for the campaigns by the Camden Clark Foundation which raises money to provide free mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women in the community.

Ross has been doing hand bells at school since her freshman year and is part of her love of music.

Kaity Ross, a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, did a self-choreographed dance solo at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in New York City. (Photo Provided)

“It goes hand in hand with dance,” she said. “My dance teachers have always wanted me to learn how to read music. We do that in hand bells.

“All of my friends are in hand bells. I also thought it would be fun. It is really chill and laid back. It is fun to see the songs come together throughout the year.”

Ross has been taking a number of college level classes and she will have over 30 credit hours of college coursework by the time she graduates from high school at age 16.

She accepted a scholarship to train at the Steps on Broadway Academy in New York City which she is planning to do next summer.

“I plan on taking a few online classes throughout the year at WVU (West Virginia University), but I will be accepting that scholarship next year and going to New York City,” she said.

Kaity Ross, a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, (third from the left) is part of the Parkersburg Catholic High School Student Council where she serves as the Student Activities co-coordinator. (Photo Provided)

The academy does different types of dance instruction and Ross wants to keep her options open in what she is planning to pursue.

“I am not really narrowed down on one type of dance that I want to do over another,” she said. “I am just going to train in a number of different styles as much as I can.

“I do want to pursue dancing, but I know dancing does not give you a career for your whole life.”

Ross has been working for her parents’ engineering company, NGC Corp., which does work at airports in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana in engineering fuel tanks, runways, fuel trailers and more. She helps put together binders and goes out on inspections and more.

“I might be working towards an engineering degree,” she said. “I also might be working on some type of medical degree.”

Kaity Ross, a senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School, plays hand bells with fellow senior Tess Roedersheimer. The two are the Student Activities Co-Coordinators for Student Council. (Photo Provided)

Her experience with dance has helped teach her dedication and commitment which she plans to carry on into the future.

“I have really good time management skills because I am in high school, taking college courses, dance four to five hours a day and I am trying to work as many hours as I can for my parents as I can so trying to balance it all has really taught me how to be responsible with my time,” she said.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.

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