MOOSEHEART, IL, May 23 -- After their Commencement Exercises were concluded, four members of Mooseheart High School's Class of 2009 took a few moments to reflect on their time on campus.
 
Sarah Perry, sponsored by Cedar Rapids, IA Lodge 304, spent 3 years, 4 months and 3 days on the Mooseheart campus prior to graduation. She is headed to Aurora University in the fall.
 
"It was really exciting," Perry said. "I know that waking up this morning and getting ready and putting on my gown, and sitting up there, I couldn't believe it was happening to me."
 
Perry said it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that she was in fact graduating from high school.
 
"I just felt like I was sitting there," she said. "It's a really good feeling. If it wasn't for Mooseheart, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. Having all the means to go to college is a big thing for me."
 
All 25 of this year's graduating class mentioned how impressive the full-house audience of nearly 4,000 was to witness from their on-stage chairs.
 
"It was amazing," Perry said. "If you don't have your own family come and if you're missing all those people who care about you, this takes away everything else that you're feeling. And it makes you so happy."
 
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Addelina LaBlance, sponsored by Sault Ste. Marie, ON Lodge 535, spent 2 years, 6 months and 21 days at Mooseheart. She is headed to Cambrian College this fall.
"It's just a whole new experience," LaBlance said. "Coming from home and coming here, you have a whole new family. I left the ones at home and came back here. Having to leave them is sad and it's going to hurt, but I'll see them again."
 
As final exams concluded, the Class of 2009 was able to spend some extended time together before parting forever. While some schools wouldn't consider this a big deal, the bonds are tight among the students at Mooseheart, and LaBlance said having those extra moments are crucial.
 
"We went all over the place - we were together the whole time," LaBlance said. "We never left each other's sight. It was really great. It makes it harder today, but that's OK."
 
Even as LaBlance was speaking, Women of the Moose members were handing her "Congratulations" cards.
 
"They make me cry every time they come up to me," LaBlance said. "Everything that they do brings tears to my eyes. They are wonderful people and they're amazing."
 
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Blake Mason spent 4 years, 9 months and 7 days at Mooseheart prior to graduation. He was sponsored by Pekin, IL Lodge 916 and will attend Illinois College in the fall.
 
"I was sitting on stage thinking, 'Man, I'm not going to go back to my house, I'm not going to go check back in and I'm not going to go do my chore right now,' " Mason said. "I'm going home and I'm going home for good. I haven't taken it all in yet and it hasn't quite hit me yet."
 
But Mason said he had a wonderful feeling sitting onstage with his classmates through the ceremony.
 
"I've had great experiences," Mason said. "It was great looking down and seeing everybody. This is the biggest graduation I've been to in my years here. I've never seen anything like this many people at a graduation."
 
Mason said he was lucky but happy that his graduation fell at the same time as a Moose International Convention in Chicago, which swelled the crowd to standing-room-only in the Fieldhouse. The crowd is always large for graduation - this year it was exceptionally large.
 
"I'm honored," Mason said. "I'd like to say 'thank you' for all that they've done for me. They've gotten me through these years of me being here. Without them, it wouldn't have been possible for me to get through high school."
 
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Randy Martin was a resident at Mooseheart for 7 years, 11 months and 7 days prior to his graduation. Sponsored by Vacaville, CA Lodge 1967, Martin will attend Butte Community College this fall.
 
"It's an experience sitting with them for the last time, being as one with them," Martin said. "We've been 'one' through the year, but not as we were today. It's exhilarating to be somewhere for the last time with all your friends."
 
Martin said that the large turnout meant something to the 25 in the graduating class - and in this case, actions spoke many, many times louder than words.
 
"Everybody says that the Moose cares for you, but I think that they care for us more than we can imagine," Martin said. "Having 3,000-4,000 people here today proves it, that they do care about us."