Senior of the Week: Katie Moon
By Sheala Iacobucci, Anna Kim, and Andrea Nystedt
Known as a kind and empathic presence on campus, senior Katie Moon is always there to listen when her peers come to her to talk. A four-year senior in Dunbar and captain of the girl's varsity softball team, Moon is not only a warmhearted individual in the dorm but also an incredible leader demonstrating excellence in her commitments.
Moon first heard about Exeter through her father, who is an alum from the Class of 1987. “I remember growing up, we had this annual Labor Day get together with his Exeter friends,” she said. At first, Moon wasn’t set on applying to Exeter herself, but seeing her older sister Madison “Maddie” Moon ’20 attend Exeter encouraged her to apply as well.
“I am Korean, but I didn't really know many Korean people. I knew that at Exeter, Maddie was meeting a lot of not only Korean people but also individuals from differing backgrounds. In deciding to come to Exeter, I really wanted to meet more people that looked like me and who were diverse overall,” Moon said.
In the four years she’s been at the Academy, Moon has come to be known as a genuine friend, according to senior Adam Tuchler. “Katie has helped me more than anyone else in the world. She is constantly supporting me in what I do, and she is always reassuring.”
Senior Rachael Kim also lauded Moon’s supportive presence as a great strength. “I love that Katie is always there when I need her. Knowing that she is there to support me helps me a lot because sometimes, you just need to talk about a problem to someone to calm yourself down in times of need,” she said. “And to that, Katie does a profoundly good job of just being next to me as a friend and beyond, and simply being present whenever I need help.”
Upper Jeannie Eom, a fellow resident in Dunbar Hall, described kindness and empathy to be fundamental to Moon’s being. “Katie is an extraordinarily receptive and open person when I come to her looking for a friend to talk to, whether it be for advice, problems, or simply to chat,” she said. “She makes me feel comfortable confiding in her and it’s incredible how much I enjoy spending the simplest moments with her, even if that means just relaxing in the same space.”
Eom also recalled how she first met Moon. “I actually got close with Katie in the fall term and the context in which we met was hilarious—we hadn’t known each other too well as fellow residents but one day, we were thrown into quarantine together and she was my roommate for a few days,” Eom laughed. “We totally hit it off. From setting up our own little movie theatre to have deep conversations until 4 A.M. in the morning bundled in a bed we connected together, I instantly knew she was someone I wanted to keep by me for a long time. Is that what you call love at first sight?” Eom joked.
Another close friend of Moon’s, senior Maegan Paul has seen Moon as a ride-or-die since the prep year. “I knew from early on that Katie was this very real, genuine person, which was refreshing to see. She’s a fun, upbeat person who lights up the room with her energy,” Paul said. “I truly admire Katie’s authenticity. She is always authentically herself.”
Moon brings this positive energy beyond her friendship and to the classroom as well. According to English Instructor Genny Moriarty, “she would observe a little bit at first and work on trying to get her voice heard more regularly, but she eventually became such a leader in the classroom. What I really love about Katie is that she was never afraid to bring up questions.” Moriarty applauded Moon’s candor conversations. “She was never afraid to share her confusion or her delight in a certain passage.”
Moriarty also appreciated Moon’s genuine care for her classmates and her selfless attitude in class. “She’s got this lovely, natural, inquisitive, and generous spirit. She’s very interested in what her classmates have to say.” she said.
This care and dedication also carries over to the softball field, where Moon, as the captain of the softball team, has established a warm but strong presence in her leadership. “I want the team to be a very positive place for people to come to,” Moon said. “I'm really looking forward to building a close knit team, because that, for me, was what grounded me at Exeter my prep year. It was a bit rough at the start, but with the help of the team community, I came to really feel like I wanted to be here.”
Kim is a fellow player on the softball team and talked about Moon’s determined leadership on the team. “Katie has been cheering everyone on the team, when we are doing fielding practice or when we are hitting. She also tries so hard to get to know you as a person too, beyond simply being a team member.”
Page agreed, noting Moon’s attitude towards the team. “She has loved softball at Exeter since prep year, and has used the team as a way to draw new students into [the] community. It is lovely to overhear her extending invitations to students in lower grades to come join them, and I know it has been really meaningful to them. She’s the kind of student I would approach to help if I knew someone was struggling to find their people at Exeter, since she is so genuine, kind and approachable.” she said.
“The way she is with the captains is the same way that she is with all the preps on the team as well. It goes to show she's just very genuine,” upper and teammate Riley Valashinas added. Valashinas also commented on Moon’s ability to demonstrate compassionate leadership. “Katie has the ability to know something so well personally, and then be able to translate that into an accessible manner to people who don't.”
Senior Jane Glidden agreed. “I have definitely noticed that she wants to be an example of how to enjoy life at Exeter while also taking the responsibility of looking out for those who are in the grades below.”
As an extension of her innate non-sibi spirit, Moon always returns to Dunbar with the same determination to help. Although Moon is not an official proctor in her dorm, she always steps up to help anyone who crosses her path, according to Paul.“She has taken on almost a Proctor role in Dunbar this term. We were down to a few proctors with people being off-campus and through what I have seen, she really embodies that idea of non-sibi in her actions,” Paul said. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Moon has truly stepped up to support the dorm and the residents and her kindness shines through in her very actions.”
Page added, speaking about Moon’s presence in the larger Exeter community. “Katie exemplifies all that is best about this community. She brings dedication, humility and a formidable intellect to her classwork, and kindness and ethical leadership to her friendships. I’ll really miss her when she graduates.”
Moon hopes to depart beyond Exeter leaving the pieces of wisdom she picked up along the way. “We’re all here for reasons greater than academics,” she said. “We can get so bogged down in comparing ourselves with each other and comparing test scores and grades, but we’re all on different tracks of life,” she explained. “And in knowing that, it’s so important to just relax a little bit and remember what the end goal is. It’s the experience, being able to create beautiful, meaningful friendships that will last beyond your years at Exeter.”