May 16, 2018 // Uncategorized

Valedictorian Alyssa Grzesiowski

Michelle Donaghey

Marian High School: Mishawaka                                    

Attending World Youth Day and hearing the Pope speak in person gave Marian High School valedictorian Alyssa Grzesiowski inspiration for her future and words to live by that she will forever hold in her heart.

“I traveled to World Youth Day in Krakow with the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. At the closing ceremony, Pope Francis urged the pilgrims that ‘unless you offer the best of yourselves, the world will never be different.’ These words and the faith instilled in me while at Marian have inspired me to give the best of myself to the world around me, in an effort to transform it into the ‘more human and more fraternal’ world of St. Pope John Paul II’s vision.”

For the young woman, faith “has infused and informed every part” of her high school career.

“I’ve been involved in various youth groups since my freshman year. The theology classes at Marian have established a strong foundation by which I can view my education in light of Catholic teaching. As Marian’s head sacristan, I’ve also been blessed to be able to serve as an integral part of our liturgical celebrations and outreach.”

Frequently serving as an advocate for others, Alyssa believes in providing an accessible education to all children that caters to the types of learning best for each student — part of the reason why she began a chemistry tutoring program at Marian.

She enjoys many activities and hobbies including playing piano, reading Hemingway novels and watching crime shows. She has a passion for Egyptian history, shopping at Bath & Body Works and solving just about any puzzle, be it jigsaw, Sudoku or a mystery novel.

Her most treasured memory of high school is “cutting down the nets when our girls basketball team won the school’s first sectional championship. I will never forget my teammates who pushed through numerous obstacles, including injuries, constant changes in coaching staff, and a very small roster, to make history,” she said.

Alyssa also said she enjoyed every time she had been in the student section during Holy War games, “especially given the fact that our football team has beaten Saint Joe every year that I have been at Marian.”

She also thinks that her time spent abroad in Costa Rica constituted “some of the most adventurous and interesting days I’ve had as a Marian student.”

The soon-to-be graduate plans to attend Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, as a Coronet Scholar, studying chemistry and forensic science and studying abroad in Spain. She hopes to go on to graduate school.