MOOSEHEART, IL - Mooseheart Child City & School graduates its 89th senior class on Saturday morning, May 26, as the 19 members of the Class of 2007 will receive both their academic diplomas and vocational certificates.
In the unusual but happy situation that is Mooseheart's Commencement, those 19 will graduate in front of a crowd of as many as 2,000, with friends and family joined by members of the Loyal Order of Moose and Women of the Moose visiting from throughout the U.S., Canada and Great Britain.
Commencement ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. in the Mooseheart Fieldhouse.
Featured guest speaker to the Class of 2007 is Mark Penzkover, a member of the Mooseheart Board of Directors, a professional environmental engineer from suburban Milwaukee, and a member of the Mooseheart Class of 1984.
Class Valedictorian Stephen Tezanos-Pinto will deliver a brief address, as will class Salutatorian Melissa Quitoriano.
"Our goal, from Day One when a child comes into Mooseheart, is for them to reach the point where they move forward and have that independence," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "This is an opportunity they have to go and be on their own. This is an exciting time for our youngsters. In this class, we have a number of kids who have been here 10 years or more. These are kids who were truly raised here at Mooseheart and the Mooseheart community. It's neat to see them walk across that stage and be ready to meet the challenges of adulthood."
The combination of diploma and vocational certificate is one of the unique features of Mooseheart's graduation. While most of the Class of 2007 plan to attend college, some will move directly into the workforce; others are considering a military career.
"We'd love to see our kids move on into higher education," Hart said. "We know that's not going to be the case for every child at Mooseheart. That's why we provide the vocational certificate. With the NJROTC program here, if the student chooses a military track in his or her life, they're prepared for that too."
The high school commencement is just one ceremony taking place at the Child City this week. The high school honors and awards program is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Fieldhouse. Fifth-grade promotion is Friday at 2 p.m. at the Fieldhouse.
All this week's school-related functions at the Fieldhouse are open to the public.
Following the morning's high school Commencement, attention on campus turns to the 79th Conferral of the Pilgrim Degree of Merit, which will comprise a colorful formal procession into the House of God, followed by a private ceremony inside the main sanctuary at noon. There, more than 180 members of the Loyal Order of Moose -- indeed making a pilgrimage to Mooseheart from Lodges all across the U.S., Canada and Great Britain -- will receive the Moose fraternity's highest degree.
While the procession prior to the Pilgrim conferral, which begins at roughly 11:30 a.m., is a public event on the Mooseheart campus, by longstanding tradition the actual ceremony is closed to the public and to all other than holders and new conferees of the Pilgrim Degree.
Members of the Mooseheart Class of 2007, in alphabetical order, with their sponsoring Lodges, are:
Jasmin Barnes, Indianapolis, IN Lodge 17
Tori Bates, Lombard, IL Lodge 2350
Tomisha Bennett, Fort Wayne, IN Lodge 200
Jasmine Costa-Hernandez, Elgin, IL Lodge 799
Dustin Cox, Lebanon, IN, Lodge 1269
Rachelle Cross, Batavia, IL Lodge 682
Susan Crow, Chicago, IL Southwest Lodge 44
Arturo Fernandez, Chicago IL Southwest Lodge 44
Christopher Fitzgerald, Batavia, IL Lodge 682
J. Nicolas Grasty, Hillsborough, NC Lodge 1893
Andrew Howard, General Assembly Lodge 3000
Renee James, Chicago, IL Southwest Lodge 44
Tara Janssen, Elgin, IL Lodge 799
Katherine Morones, Chicago Heights, IL Lodge 828
Robert Picker, Willow Glen, CA Lodge 2255
Melissa Quitoriano, Fairfield, CA Lodge 861
Adrianna Tezanos-Pinto, Sacramento, CA Lodge 1020
Stephen Tezanos-Pinto, Sacramento, CA Lodge 1020
Anthony Westbrook, Chicago, IL Southwest Lodge 44
Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.
Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,900 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.
Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.
Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.
Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 250 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.
In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.
Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.Mooseintl.org and www.Mooseheart.org or call 630-966-2229.
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