Chase the Unknown

by Isabelle Moosman, Class of 2026 Valedictorian, Eastside Catholic School

First, I wanted to thank everyone for being here tonight. To my fellow classmates, congratulations! I am so honored to be here today, and I loved my time at Eastside Catholic.

When I first arrived at EC in eighth grade, I was overwhelmed with the amount of support and care from my teachers. They truly are what make this school special. I'm sorry, I have so many people to thank.

I want to thank Ms. Procel for recognizing me in a way I hadn't recognized myself in eighth grade and always being so supportive of me, even jumping on the opportunity to share her life story with me after school one day.

I want to thank Dr. Hortsch for being a kind and welcoming mentor teacher, Dr. Tesfay for bringing smiles to all he encounters, and Ms. Bartol for being such a positive coach and teacher.

I want to thank Mr. Henderson for making math a welcoming, understandable and fun place, Ms. Farmer for being a warm hug of a person and making test-taking not so scary, and Sra. Granda for always being so thoughtful and creating such an engaging class for my senior year.

I want to thank Coach Trista for doing more than humanly possible and Ms. Varsa for being so incredibly supportive of me, both as a coach and as a person. I will always cherish my memories of EC Tennis.

I want to thank Dr. Bob for both feeding my literary passions and making every day exciting, Mr. Ritter for challenging me to think about the world in ways I never imagined, and Ms. Deardorff for being a nurturing presence I never knew I needed.

For the Class of 2026, as you go off to pursue your dreams, I will leave you with a few pieces of advice:

Chase the unknown through books, through ideas, through classes and conversations and experiences; chase the unknown through hopes and dreams and life. It will take you to places you never imagined. Embrace curiosity, as eyes may be the window into the soul, but curiosity is the window into the world.

I recommend taking life slowly, romanticizing little beautiful moments, as they are what make life special.

I suggest keeping an open mind, a kind and forgiving attitude, and taking chances while also truly listening to those who are older. For, as Dr. Bob once told me, "Wisdom can only be gained from both knowledge and experience."

And, as always, "Remember to take care of each other."