To The Central Trend staff, for making my final year extraordinary

Every year, I walk into the TCT room that first day of school not knowing what to expect. Of course, without a doubt, I walk out of that classroom every day being fulfilled with my day and everything that we have accomplished. This year has not been any different. I know that my four years spent on this staff will never be forgotten, especially this year’s staff. I know that I will be able to walk out of room 139 one final time incredibly proud of the work and love we have put into this site. Saniya, thank you for your funny comments that make me laugh incredibly hard every day. Eva, thank you for being so incredibly kind to everyone on staff, and for sharing such a strong adoration for New Girl with me. Evelyn, thank you for allowing me to gush over Noah Kahan’s If We Were Villains, and, of course, for your incredible writing with you. Addie, I adore everything about you; thank you so much for being so incredible every day. Ella, thank you for always bringing such a positive energy into room 139, I will forever love your grand entrances and exits when you come and talk to me. Kiera, having three hours in a row together simply isn’t enough; I absolutely love talking to you, and I am thankful for the time we have together every day. Arpita, thank you so much for always being so positive and putting in incredible effort into everything you do. Alex, thank you so much for the time you put into the class; you are like Superwoman with all that you do at school. Tilley, thank you for allowing for your creativity to shine through every piece that you write. Mikayla, thank you for putting every ounce of love into each word that you write; I see your passion shine through your writing. Ellerie, thank you for being one of the kindest people I have ever met; I am so glad I get to spend time with you both in room 139 and at dance. Alysse, thank you for always being someone open to conversation, no matter what the topic may be.

To Mr. George, for my past, present, and future

Before going into high school, I had no idea what path I would want to take in my life. Almost every other week I would switch from an interior designer to an FBI agent to a surgeon. I had always adored writing, but it still wasn’t clear to me that it was going to be such a large aspect of my future. From the moment I walked into your classroom as a timid 14-year-old, I knew that I had found a home. You have created an environment that will never be able to replicate; it is a community where I have learned how to thrive. It wasn’t long before you showed me that my passion was in writing, and that I belonged wherever there was a story to tell. Now, I am telling the story of how you changed my life, and I owe all of my thanks to you. You have always been there to support me and push me in getting better every day. Without your guidance, I would still be lost, and I will forever be grateful that I switched back into your class second semester of my freshman year and never looked back.

To Eva Harshman and Addy Cousins, for making every day easier

Every day, when I walk into room 139, no matter how I am feeling, I know that my day will become infinitely better when I see you two. The job we three have is not an easy one, but you guys make it all worthwhile. Addy, your laugh is infectious. I know I will always be smiling when I am with you. You help me to forget every bad thing that is going on outside of that classroom, and I will always be thankful for you. Eva, there has never been a time that I wasn’t happy to see you sitting on that brown couch. You never fail to make me laugh, and I will never get tired of you handing me your computer to double-check comma errors.  I feel like I can always talk to you about literally anything going on in my life. It is never a chore to be around you. I always know that my day will be good if I see you, and I will always be thankful for that. I am so happy that the three of us are able to carry on the legacy of former editors, while also creating a legacy of our own. I am so excited and eager to see where the rest of the year takes us; I will forever be thankful for the two of you.

To Dad, for instilling in me my love for writing

I always like to think that the reason why I love to write is because it’s in my blood. You always told me when I was younger about the pieces you were writing for your job, and I would always sit and listen. I remember when we would write stories together at Grandma and Grandpa’s house; we had one notebook and took turns writing a page of the story. I honestly don’t remember much of the plot, but I think there was a forest and a cabin involved. I remember when you brought me to work with you and I would lay under one of the tables and read to myself using one of the whisper phones made out of PVC pipes. All of that was so long ago, but that same spark has followed me through every step of my life. Now, instead of showing you the little stories I wrote in my journal, I wait eagerly to hear feedback from you on my articles and college essays. The spark has always been there, and it will always be there; thank you.

To Mom, for listening

Some of my favorite times we spend together are the times when we sit and talk. It may seem like something small to you, but those moments mean everything to me. Those conversations are never much; they are usually just me spilling out all of the drama that I experience or hear about during my day at school, or just ranting about every misfortune that I happen upon. Sometimes, they end up with both of us equally as riled up, or with both of us in tears from how much we’re laughing. Sometimes, our conversations end up with me doing a silly dance and you taking a video of me. There will never be a time when I don’t cherish these moments with you. I look forward to talking to you every day, because I know that you will listen. Even in the future, when I will no longer be a hallway away from an amazing conversation, I know you will be there to hear about every aspect of my day. I love you forever, and I am so thankful for you every day.

To Carolina, for being the funniest person I know

Growing up, we definitely did not always see eye-to-eye. Even today, there are still times that we don’t. However, I don’t know anyone else that can crack a good joke like you can. You could simply be standing in front of me silently, and I would still bust out laughing. You are so quick-witted and always know how to make me smile. Thank you for putting up with me when I don’t want to leave your room, and rather just joining in on the fun. I love all the amazing times that we have had together, and I cannot wait to make so many more memories filled with laughter. Thank you for being an incredible little sister.

Para Abuelita, por siempre ser mi animadora

A veces, yo deseo que tú y yo vivamos en el mismo lugar. Pero, tus visitas son más especiales ahora. Me encanta cuando estás aquí para la Navidad, y estoy muy emocionada por este Diciembre. Yo sé que, sin importar dónde estés en el mundo, tú vas a animarme todo el tiempo. No importa si es en mis bailes o por mis artículos, siempre estás ahí aunque en realidad estás en Puerto Rico. Te amo, y te extraño mucho.

Para Abuelito, por enseñarme todo lo que necesito saber

Por todo mi vida, tú siempre cuentas historias muy graciosas e interesantes. Cada vez, escucho atentamente porque yo quiero aprender todo lo que yo pueda de uno de los hombres más inteligentes en mi vida. No importa si es sobre cómo cocinar tu arroz con gandules o una historia sobre tu juventud, me encantan todas. Te amo mucho, y estoy muy emocionada por todo lo que tú vas a enseñarme sobre la vida en el futuro.

To Merrik, for being here without really being here

I’ve always been so thankful to have a cousin that I am so close with. We have stuck together throughout all stages of life, and I feel like every day we grow even closer, even though we only see each other a few times a year. We text each other to ask opinions on clothes and crises; I can always count on you to give me the response I have been searching for. It is moments like these where I feel as if the distance between us that we’ve grown up learning how to tolerate disappears. I feel as if you’re right in front of me, telling me everything I need to hear.​​ The worst part is that as we get older, there is going to be more and more distance between the two of us as we embark upon our own separate journeys. All I know, however, is that no matter how far I go, no matter where we end up, it will always feel like you are right by my side; I am eternally grateful for you.

To Maya Sneider, for making me the happiest

I find it funny that an English project we did together freshman year would lead to us being best friends. It’s not like either of us were dying to be with one another; we barely talked back then. We simply wanted to be with each other so that we wouldn’t be paired up with someone we hardly knew. From there, our friendship evolved to hanging out on Friday nights at football games during the fall and talking during classes. Now, I see you almost daily outside of the classes we have. You stop by my house to make chocolate milk when you’re out of the ingredients, and when you have to drop something off you always have to come inside to say hello to Blue. I love coming to your house and running straight to my “best friends,” who are more commonly known to everyone else as Zayn and Zoey. I love when you show our AP Spanish table what’s in your lunch every day, even though it is almost always the same thing. I laugh harder with you than I do with anyone else. It could be the smallest thing, such as how your “snicker” carries over to my own, or when we work strenuously to master the Marshmallow game to where our laughs turn to wheezes and your parents can hear us through the vents. There isn’t anyone else I would rather spend all my days with. I love how you get excited over the littlest things, like your comfy bed or the mere thought of a glass of chocolate milk. I love how thoughtful you are; I can always call you and know you will be there to listen, even if you don’t have anything to say. My day becomes infinitely better when I see you. Your joy is infectious; I am happiest when I am with you, and I will always be thankful to have you in my life.

To Kyra, for helping me forget about the distance

Right now, there are 701 miles and an 11-hour drive separating us. For the past twelve years, however, there was a mere 1.4 miles and a seven-minute drive between where we lived. Let me say, it was quite a shock getting used to not seeing you almost every day; saying goodbye to you the night before you left was incredibly difficult for me to grasp. However, we’ve adapted. We text, we call, we send each other videos on Snapchat, and flood our TikToks with pointless clips that make us smile. You make the distance seem far less like such a jarring thing to a 17-year-old girl who just misses her best friend. In a perfect world, we would be kids again playing with Barbies and LEGO Friends in our basements, but that time has passed. I am so incredibly grateful to have had all these wonderful memories to fill the distance between the two of us, and I thank you so much for walking—or dancing, if I may—into my life so many years ago.

To Katie, for sticking around

At this point in our lives, we literally have nothing together. We used to see each other at least four days a week doing dance together, but things have changed and we no longer have that. Our time together is sparse at times, but I cherish every bit of it. I feel like I never see you anymore, so I soak up every second that we spend together. You have never failed to make me laugh and I love obsessing over movies and celebrities with you. I am so incredibly grateful that you stuck around. There is nothing tethering us together other than our friendship, which will forever be strong. 

To Paige Jacobs, for being my favorite dance partner

It’s officially been ten years that I have danced by your side. During that time, we have accomplished so very much together. It pains me to even think that our time left together is limited and slipping away every second. I love laughing with you at every dance practice and giving each other high fives to keep our spirits up. I love driving you home where the two of us rant about every little thing that is going on in our lives. I will never get tired of seeing you. You are one of my favorite humans; thank you for ten wonderful years. 

To Tessa Bunting, Lydia Morey, Myla Morey, and Kaylin Scheuneman, for being my beach babes

The four of you are some of the funniest people I know. I laugh until my stomach hurts and my whole body is weak. I love seeing you all both in and outside of dance. My happiness grows a thousand times over; every negative feeling I’ve ever had launches itself out the window when you all are near. The night we spent together at the beach was one of the best parts of my summer, and something I will never forget. I am eternally grateful that I have all four of you in my life.

To my lunch table, for making my day a little brighter

Claire, we became friends in sixth grade when we had youth group together. At that point, we still weren’t too close, but now I am delighted to see you every single day. I love talking to you intensely about random topics, and I absolutely love it when you let me through in the morning at the middle school drop-off. I’m thankful for those chilly nights at Snow Camp all those years ago, because now I am left with an incredible friend. Clara, you’ve always had a way of making me laugh. From me giving you “dance lessons” during Before School Care in sixth grade to the funny comments you make at lunch, I always have a smile on my face when I am with you. While I miss sitting next to you in math class, I am so thankful that I still see you every day. Angela, I could talk to you for hours. I feel like with you, everything is so incredibly easy. I love to talk about the most random things with you and never want to stop. Thank you so much for making everything so effortless. Maya, I’m still thankful for you, please see above for further discussion. Lucy, I am so glad that we have second through fifth hour together. I love eating lunch with you and I love fruitlessly trying to decipher PreCalc with you. I love reminiscing about our first-grade endeavors. Thank you so much for never failing to make me smile. Taylor, I am so glad that you waltzed back into my life again. We were so close in third and fourth grade, and I’m glad that the flame has rekindled. I love hearing your wild stories that always have me laughing. I’m so grateful to endure Jane Eyre with you. Skyler, I have always enjoyed my time with you. While I miss our antics from Spanish 3 a lifetime ago, I am so glad that we still talk. You are absolutely hilarious, and I am thankful we are given this time together. Jenna, I am so glad we were given the opportunity to get closer this year. You’re so kind and funny and make some of the best mac and cheese known to mankind. Thank you for taking the extra lap around the school after fourth hour with me. Noah, I’m so happy that we were able to get closer last year during lunch and AP Lang, and I’m so excited that you’re sitting at our lunch table again. You’re absolutely hilarious and I will always love talking to you. Thank you for always making me laugh. Honorable mention: Chen, even though you don’t technically sit at our lunch table like last year, I am still thankful that you still spend time with us every day while getting candy in the counseling office and maniacally messing up the bulletin board drawing.

To the FHCVDT, for making me love dance more every day

For fifteen years now, I have been a dancer. I have been to many places for dance, but I will never have a team like this one, where every day I walk into the gym with people that make it feel like a home. I love screaming out words of encouragement when we feel like we are on the verge of collapsing. I love laughing with you all when we are delirious during the early-morning practices. I love every moment I spend with you all, and I am so thankful that we have one last season dancing together. Jazzae and Crystal, you two are the best coaches I have ever had. I have improved so much over the last three years, and I cannot wait to see what else I accomplish in the next few months. I have never had coaches that push me as hard as you do, and I will forever be grateful.