TCT’s The Countless Thanks 2022

To The Central Trend staff, for brightening my day as we walk into room 139 Eva, thank you for entertaining me with incredible stories and gossip during sixth hour. Kiera, thank you for always being reliable and having such cool Converse. Syd, thank you for being my literal soulmate and making me smile every day. Katelynn, thank you for being a ray of sunshine every time I see you, both in third and sixth hour. L...

Mom- Your support and unconditional love have been the most dependable things in my life for as long as I can remember, and sometimes, it feels like it’s the only dependable thing. I know for a fact that your confidence in me started before I was even born, but particularly these last four years I have memory after memory of you being by my side—and sometimes, I don’t make it easy. I swear, from ...

Kiera and Addy, for just “getting it” When I say you “get it,” I mean that in more than one way. I can no longer imagine not having you two by my side at every milestone we’ve been through in TCT. We laugh, rant, and cry while eating sandwiches together. Inside and out of TCT, I can always count on you two for anything and everything.  Penny O’Meara, for making this so difficult to...

My purple- Purple seems like a very free spirit color to me. That’s why you’re purple. You have such a free spirit. You do what you want. You don’t care what people say about you. You focus on yourself, and it’s amazing. You help me be more comfortable with myself. You’re an amazing role model because you show me how it feels to be completely carefree—something I can definitely work o...

My family- for keeping me grounded I could take up pages just to thank my amazing and constantly supportive family, thank you all, for raising me to be who I am today. Mom - Thank you for always being there when I need advice or even just a hug. You have been a constant light in my life and will always be my favorite person. Dad - You encourage me to constantly better myself and be the best, smarte...

Emerson Burrows, for being the greatest homie of all-time There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe how lost I would be without you. I don’t know a single person on planet earth who goes through as much as you and still keeps it pushing without losing an ounce of strength. I think it’s starting to reflect on me a little bit. Laughing with you makes me wholeheartedly b...

To my dog- You are my favorite animal on the planet. I would choose you over anything. You are my therapy dog for all the times that I get anxious or upset or worried and I wish I could bring you everywhere. I know I get annoyed whenever you wake me up before I want to wake up, but I still love you. I love all of your cuddles and your dog smiles that you only get when it's a special occasion (warm ...

I am beyond blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life from which I have shaped the person I am today. I would be half of the person I am without the impact all of these incredible people have had on me, and all the thanks I have to express merely brush the surface of all that I have to offer. Mom - I can’t even imagine where I would be without you As any high school girl, I am aw...

John Orr—because duh Thank you for spending that much money on me. Thank you for covering my expenses when stores don't take Apple Pay (because they really should start). Thank you for taking me to Culver's and for being my ride everywhere. Anyways, you're just the greatest human being—thank you for always dealing with my absurd issues and daily inconveniences. Thank you for the unlimited frosted le...

Audrey Milanowski, for inspiring me to join band.  Thank you for taking yearbook in 8th grade. Without it, I wouldn’t have met you or almost any of the people mentioned in this column. Yearbook being the most boring class I had ever taken, I came to like the idea of joining band again in 8th grade. You played (and still play) the clarinet, and this gave me a boost. You encouraged me to do so...

To TCT Staff, Thank you for creating an atmosphere so uniquely enriching as TCT. Every day I come to this class, I feel like I’m retreating to a safe house in the middle of a storm. You guys make me laugh every day, and all of your creative works inspire me to pursue a better medium for myself in writing. I love reading every one of your articles, and I don’t think there is a class I’d rather be...

To Claire Mast– my college trip buddy Thank you for helping me start my day right. I am so thankful for every time you turn around and ask me how my night was. I would not make it through math without you. I love our walks around the hallway as we push back the amount of time we have to spend in science; thank you for listening to my rants and dealing with my outbursts of energy.    ...

Andrew Alt Thank you for teaching me to love reading, writing, and languages at least half as much as you do. Thank you for spending hours reading Harry Potter to me on the couch. I don’t know if I would have joined this class if you hadn’t harbored my love of writing as much as you did.  Carolyn Alt Thank you for the years of encouragement and support. You always know if something is ...

Thank you to… Mom - For always being there for me  Despite how stubborn I can be, you never choose to give up on me, and I think that’s what makes you such an amazing person. You always make time for me and are always down to play board games that can sometimes get competitive. Although we joke about you opening a restaurant one day, your cooking continues to surprise me. You say that the on...

Carolyn and Andrew Alt—Mama and Papa, the calm to my chaos Every day I come home stressed, and every day you are there to calm my chaos into something more manageable: mayhem, some may say. I love you more than every second of my life. Thank you for being constant. I’m so grateful that I can say that my parents are good people. I appreciate how rare that is. Our relationship is nearly sacred ...

TCT Staff- Each and every one of you make me feel important and heard; every day I’m prouder to be surrounded by such brilliant, creative, and inspiring individuals. I could write pages about my thanks to you all. Mr. George- the influence you’ve had on my life is vast and important. You are someone I aspire to be like in how I treat others, how I learn, how I grow, and how I view the world. I ...

My family–for being a constant in my life Claire, even though we used to not like each other very much, you are now one of my favorite people to be around. You have so much life and exuberance about everything you do. You are never quiet, always have something to say, and I am 100% convinced that in another lifetime you were a cat. You are not afraid to speak your mind, even if it’s somethi...

To my brother- Thank you for being the glue that holds the family together. You're incredibly funny and always know how to cheer me up, regardless of how bad my mood is. You're the only person who I don't mind annoying me, because I always get you back. You're incredibly charming and any person who meets you always loves you. You're the sweetest older brother and my biggest protector and best f...

To my friends- Thank you, Elle Manning. You’ve been there for me since kindergarten, and I hope that never changes. You’re always the first person I tell things to, and the last person to forget embarrassing stuff about me. Writing this is reminding me of when Mr. Deboer had us make those Thanksgiving letters and we wrote them to each other, but this is more one-sided. I already said you’ve alw...

I'm thankful for a full and happy life with my family, friends, and co-workers who motivate me to give my very best every day. This year's students have given me their very best, and I'm excited to thank them here. 2nd Hour Thank you to Jake for your insightful comments and leadership that impacts my room and the entire sophomore class, Henry for genuinely caring for others and for being an o...

To the staff of TCT First and foremost, I must thank the people that make me look forward to the end of every school day, the people who make room 139 a home. Each of you inspires me to continue writing and share my words with the world. Sofia Hargis-Acevedo, you are one of the cutest people I know. Your eloquent vulnerability in writing is beautiful to read, and I’m so glad I get to start ever...

To Aunt Kelly, I wish you were reading this You taught me that it’s okay to get lost, after all, it’s the journey that matters. At the same time, you taught me that confidence is key. Somehow you managed to get my mom and me to follow you down the mountain skiing when you had no clue where to go. You seemed like you knew what you were doing until we ended up having to get our skis off and wa...