Millions of people go to Rome year. Most of them are hoping to catch sight of the pope, though the vast majority do not. Only a small fraction of them actually get an up close view.

In 2019, Emily Kattner became one of the exceptions, someone who actually got to meet the leader of the Catholic church, and receive his blessing.

“She cried after she met the pope. She was a very passionate person about everything in her life, religion included. She was special,” said her longtime friend Rachael Caputo.

Kattner, a Jim Thorpe native, was one of three victims in a fatal automobile accident in the Lehigh Valley last Saturday night.

In her 24 years, Kattner dreamed big and worked hard. Friends recalled that she was poised and wise beyond her years.

At Jim Thorpe High School, where she graduated in 2015, Kattner was a straight-A student and cheerleading captain. She was also a dear friend.

Among her teammates, she inspired the rare combination of love and respect as a leader. Others on the squad saw her as determined, but at the same time, always joyful and encouraging.

“Emily was one of the truest, kindest, and by far most cheerful person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. She always had a contagious smile and never let anything get to her,” said Tony Shorten, her cheerleading stunt partner.

Cheering is a nearly year-round commitment, but Kattner constantly worked on making herself better at the sport. She put in extra time practicing on her own. She would work with her stunt partner, or continue to develop the ability to stretch her heel above her head while standing atop the pyramid.

She was always willing to help her teammates get better as well, whether it was teaching a dance or helping with flexibility. She did it with a positive attitude that made them want to get better too.

“Her positivity, hopefulness, and strength just made you want to be a better person,” said Bridget McFadden, a longtime friend and teammate.

Once during Kattner’s senior year, cheering practice ended early. Delia-Monet Early, then a freshman who had just moved, was left without a ride.

Emily invited her to her family’s house for dinner. She offered to give her a ride home, but Early didn’t know exactly how to find her new house. Kattner wasn’t bothered, and helped her figure out the directions home.

“From that night forward she continued to help me through the season. I’ll never forget the patience and kindness that she showed me,” Early said.

A few years earlier, Caputo was that new girl in town when she met Kattner. They developed a close friendship. They cheered together, took classes together, and spent their nights and weekends together.

“She always shined in everything she did. She was well poised and put together, and gave everything her best effort no matter what,” she said.

When Caputo had to choose a prom dress, she turned to her best friend for advice. Kattner chose something bolder than Caputo might have chosen for herself, a white mermaid cut dress with shining beads. Caputo has kept it to this day. She hopes to wear it again, possibly at her wedding.

As they moved on to different colleges and ultimately different states, they were still in touch on a regular basis.

Kattner would visit her in Boston, where they would go shopping, or visit wineries. At home, they loved to eat at A Ca Mia.

Cheering on the Olympians remained important to Kattner even after high school. She faithfully returned to the squad’s alumni nights after graduation, still flying, and still doing heel stretches.

Thanks to Facetime and texting, Caputo could still turn to her best friend for advice in any situation. Emily was full of excitement about life with her boyfriend Nick. He also died in Saturday’s tragic crash.

Caputo recalled how Emily dreamed of traveling more in the future. They had both traveled abroad on their own, but they dreamed of visiting Greece, and reprising Emily’s trip to Rome together.

Kattner, always wise beyond her years, had a vision for the next 20 years of her life.

“Her dream job would have been to travel the world and start marketing for Louis Vuitton or Givenchy or Valentino,” she said. “Emily was so outgoing and she just wanted to take the world and rule it.”