PACIFIC BEACH – Natalie Chen, Matilda Meyer and Jonah Osuch have been named the Class of 2026 valedictorians for Mission Bay High. Dylan Talarico-Smith is the salutatorian.
“We follow our tradition in awarding these individuals,” said Dr. Eric Brown, Mission Bay principal.
Personal motivation, reasons for choosing Mission Bay, defining high school experiences, stand-out teachers and being a role model – the soon-to-be grads explored all these topics and more during our conversations with them.
Why Mission Bay?
Their journeys to Mission Bay are as interesting as they are varied.
Osuch and Talarico-Smith were born and raised in Pacific Beach.
“I think going to Mission Bay was a forgone conclusion from birth,” Osuch said. “My grandparents, my parents and my older brother all went to Mission Bay.”
Talarico-Smith is a PB native. “I attended Pacific Beach Elementary and Pacific Beach Middle. I chose to attend Mission Bay because it is in my neighborhood, my older sister went there and I was interested in the (International Baccalaureate) program.”
Meyer and Chen, on the other hand, are transplants.
“I was born in California, but I lived abroad in Singapore up until fourth grade,” Chen said. “I spent kindergarten and most of elementary school in Singapore, learning both English and Mandarin Chinese. Moving back, we chose to attend Barnard Elementary and PBMS because of the Mandarin Immersion program. I then chose Mission Bay for the Mandarin program as well as the IB program.”
“I moved to San Diego halfway through fourth grade,” Meyer said. She also studied Mandarin.
“I went to Pacific Beach Middle, took Mandarin there, learned a lot, and made amazing friends, most of whom I’m still close with,” Meyer said.
“I went to Mission Bay because it was my neighborhood school, but also because my parents and I felt that the IB program would be a place for me to take challenging classes and learn as much as I could.”
Motivation
What motivates each of these students to take on hard classes, late nights and writing assignments?
“I set goals for myself that I aim to achieve, and I always push myself to do my best as I can,” Chen said. “Some of it does come from my friends, though; seeing them work hard further motivates me to work hard.”
“I motivate myself,” Meyer said. “My parents are strong supporters of education and have always made sure that I have what I need to succeed, but the motivation to actually work toward success, and sometimes redefine my idea of success, came from myself.”
Talarico-Smith finds her motivation in interaction with others. “I am motivated by my friends, peers and family because they encourage me to do the best I can.”
Valedictorian plans
The students had different answers when asked if they had a plan to become valedictorian.
Meyer said her goal was never about being valedictorian. “It was to take classes that challenge me and where I can learn about the world around me. I do well in school because I genuinely enjoy learning.”
Talarico-Smith said she originally set a goal during her freshman year to be near the top of the class because her sister (Mission Bay Class of 2023) was valedictorian. “Seeing how hardworking she was inspired me.”
Osuch shared that it was important to keep his options open.
“I set a goal in my freshman year to work hard in high school. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in the future, so I figured to just prepare for everything and work hard.”
Being a role model
“If someone told me I was a role model, I would feel honored but also recognize the responsibility that comes with it,” said Talarico-Smith.
Meyer said she hopes to motivate other students to work hard, but put their time and effort into something they love, and with the intention of making the world a better place.
“I know that I am constantly inspired and motivated by my peers to continue to do what I do, so it’s rewarding to be able to pass down this inspiration to others,” Chen said.
College plans
Osuch said he will pursue an engineering degree, Meyer plans to study political science while Talarico-Smith is aiming to major in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. The trio, though, are still making their decisions on which college or university to attend.
Chen will be going to Northwestern University in the fall with plans to major in film with a possible double major in political science.
“I want to use college to find out what I’m passionate about and figure out what I would like to do in the future,” she said.
Giving credit
Chen pointed out how many talented graduating seniors attend Mission Bay.
“I know several students who are not only incredibly talented in the instruments they play but also full IB diploma candidates, high-achieving academically with straight A’s, and equally deserving of the valedictorian title, but are not honored simply because they chose a different path,” Chen said. “While I’m honored to be valedictorian, I also want to acknowledge and give credit to those who work hard, maybe even more than I do, but don’t receive official recognition.”
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