Milan Graduates Told The World Needs Their Unique Selves

At Milan High School’s graduation on Sunday, June 1, Science teacher and keynote speaker Julie Mossburg told the class of 2025 they shared something in common.

Both were closing a chapter—while students were graduating, Mossburg was retiring after 25 years as a science teacher.

Two Speeches:

Then Mossburg informed the graduating seniors she had prepared two speeches and needed help to decide which to give.

The first speech had been written by Chat GPT with little effort. The second speech was one she started pondering about the moment she was voted to be the 2025 commencement speaker, and it was inspired by personal memories, her thoughts and ideas. When students clapped to show which speech they wanted her to give, it was the second speech – speech B – that received a resounding applause.

Mossburg told the students that the second speech was “authentically created, not artificially generated,” and encouraged each student to “pursue a route of originality.”

As a science teacher, Mossburg said she loves learning about energy, the human body, and the environment. However, she said she could add another important element to the Periodic Table of Elements on her wall. She said that’s the human element—the symbol would be Us, and the weight would be infinity because there is no way to measure the influence we humans have on each other.

When she was younger, Mossburg said she wanted to serve others and found her fit teaching science and coaching basketball.

“As teacher and coach I have been in my element as a human being on this earth,” Mossburg said. “I hope that each one of you can tap into your own element and bring to light an original way to influence others.”

Resilience:

Earlier in the program, Milan High School Principal Aaron Shinn led the school’s 138^th class in the last official meeting of 2025, extolling their toughness in facing challenges ranging from academic exams to the death of a family member.

“The world will test you,” Shinn said, telling them their time in Milan has prepared them to face tough times and that they should lean on family and others to find strength.

Carrying Forward:

Class President Sarah Monroe told of watching High School Musical 3 growing up – and her disappointment when she learned that there weren’t really singing and choreographed dances in the halls at high school. Instead, she said she found some of the best teachers and students.

As she contemplates graduation she said she feels sadness for what she’s leaving behind, along with a desire to hold onto every memory, but realizes high school wasn’t meant to last forever because they need to grow. 

“Growing up doesn’t mean forgetting where we came from. It means carrying it with us,” she said, adding. “High school was not meant to last, but the impact, the friendships you’ve made, the lessons learned, people we’ve become, that’s meant to last forever.”

How to Live:

Valedictorian Melody Watkins told her classmates:  “Let’s be honest, high school was rough,” she said, reflecting on challenges including homework, loss and grief, and mental health.  

Now however, she said they know how to stand up, bounce back from failures, take lessons learned and teach them to others. 

As they face the future, she told her classmates to recall the words of the class song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield:  

“Live your life with arms wide open,” she said.

New horizons:

School Board President Andrew Cislo led the district in saying thank you and goodbye to Superintendent Bryan Girbach, who is retiring at the end of June after 33 years in the school district. Girbach got teary eyed as other district employees, students and families clapped.

In his confirmation of the graduates, Girbach carried on the theme of empowering students to carve their own path in the world, with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be,” he told students.

In addition to Mossburg and Girbach, several other Milan Area Schools employees are retiring this year, including:  Custodian Jay Bleifeld, Symons Administrative Assistant Luanne Latocki, Central Office Administrative Assistant Anne Foor, Milan Middle School Health Teacher Nichole Kuenzel, Kindergarten Teacher Clara Thiry, Paddock Literacy Coach Tracy Terris, and Kindergarten Teacher Cara Payne.

Milan Area Schools is also celebrating graduations from its Young Adult Program at Milan Middle School, Adult Education at Milan High School and the Federal Correctional Institution Program – the only federal prison that offers a high school diploma in the country.

A recording of graduation is available on Milan High School’s Facebook page.