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SUNNY Temp: 55 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Tuesday, June 4, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend June 3, 2002 South Medford valedictorian Jenny Moser, 18, performs a section of the modern dance "Aqua Terra" with fellow performers Erin Richey, 17, left, and Alby Loula, 15. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A dance of determination Valedictorian Jenny Moser doesn’t let cerebral palsy limit her life, and she’s an inspiration to those who know her By AYISHA YAHYA Mail Tribune Among South High School’s class of 2002 valedictorians is one young woman whose passion and determination helps her overcome the odds — every day of her life. Jenny Moser, 18, has cerebral palsy that affects movement in her back and her right hand. While the disability may pose a stumbling block, Moser has never let it stop her from achieving her goals. "I try never to let it get in my way," Moser said. "There have been times when it’s been difficult, but I haven’t ever felt excluded. If anything, it’s added to my stick-to-itiveness, my persistence." This determination led Moser to take up modern dance as her senior project. Although not as precise as ballet, modern dance still requires a wealth of energy and movement. Moser said she had a hard time coping when she first started the class in September. But she never gave up. The teacher and her classmates were willing to work with her and adapt the choreography when a move was too strenuous. Her initial fears slowly dissipated, and her movements became more graceful. She says she knew she could succeed in the class if she just kept going. And she made it. "I’m stronger, I’m more flexible, and I’m more confident," Moser says. "It was a really good experience. I was really proud of what I achieved." At the end of her course, Moser and other dance students put on a public concert in May. They performed to Afro-Celtic and techno music and even poetry. Her dance teacher, Dee Chadwell, says having Moser in the class was a delightful experience. "I always believed a handicapped person could dance," Chadwell says. "Jenny proved it. Jenny is so courageous. You did not see her challenge on stage." The concerts were gratifying moments for Moser. "The best part was realizing at the end of it all that it (the cerebral palsy) was not obvious," Moser says. "For the most part, I was like everybody else." Moser’s commitment to hard work and persistence is evident in other areas as well. She was recently recognized as a National Merit Scholar. Out of more than a million students who apply nationally, only about 8000 students are awarded this distinction. She has excelled in her classes. Chadwell, who also taught Moser English in her junior year, says she is an exceptional essayist and poet. Fellow Brain Bowl team member David Gutman, 16, describes Moser as "easily one of the kindest and undoubtedly one of the most intellectual girls I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing." Greg Jost, who taught Moser advanced placement government this year, says, "She’s a wonderful human being who possesses an exceptionally keen intellect." A Girl Scout since she was 5, Moser has been a Scout camp counselor and a camp leader. She also plays the trombone in the high school marching band. Moser says it is important to find passion in what you do. "Find something that matters to you, that’s important. If you’re passionate about it, then everything is a whole lot easier," she says. She will pursue a new passion this fall: microbiology. Moser will attend the Honors College at Oregon State University. Her fascination with microbiology began when she learned how to use a microscope in the seventh grade, she says. Although she was also accepted into the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she says she doesn’t feel ready yet to go so far away from home. She hopes her efforts, in and outside the classroom, can be an inspiration to others. "I really hope someone will read about me and fight their own battles, climb their own mountains," she says. Reach news intern Ayisha Yahya at [email protected] . 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