The Mohonasen music department from Rotterdam is gearing up for a special July Fourth performance in Washington, D.C. Signed up years ago, the marching band only recently realized they will be stepping onto the capital’s streets during a notable anniversary date—adding an extra layer of significance to this patriotic occasion.

Eastern View High School senior, governor’s school student, and marching band musician, Catherine Lomis merges academic ambition with a passion for the arts. She hopes to study physics in college and keep exploring her musical interests, proving that a love for rollerblading is just one piece of her multifaceted story.