Dad’s Yearly School Interview Goes Viral
A dad who interviewed his daughter every year on the first day of school has now shared the final video as she starts her last year of high school before heading to college. Ray Petelin began this tradition with his daughter Elizabeth in 2012, when she was five and waiting for the bus to kindergarten. Each year, he asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, watching her answers shift from doctor to teacher, magician to waitress, and heart surgeon to physical therapist.
Now, after their 13th and final interview, the 47-year-old TV meteorologist shared the video compilation. “I put it together late at night so no one would see me bawling,” Ray admitted. The video, posted on Facebook and Twitter/X, has gained over 50 million views, leading to TV interviews on major networks, including his own station, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. Many parents have called Ray “Dad of the Year,” and his tradition has inspired others to do the same with their kids.