To my second family- Meg, Lili, and Audrey

This community will always feel like home to me. Behind the stage in the dark is where I’m happiest. I have made some of the best memories with you guys. You are my second family. Theater means the world to me. You all mean the world to me. Meg, thank you for being my forever crew sib. I’ve known you since I was the only freshman part of the show. I’ve known you the longest. You have made theater what it is for me. You’ve taught me our traditions and our unspoken rules. Without you, I wouldn’t be a leader in this community, and I thank you so much for it. Without you, I wouldn’t have this part of my life. Thank you for being with me for three years. I don’t know what I’ll do without you. Lili, thank you for coming with us to get Starbucks. You know I was dying of exhaustion that day, and all I needed was coffee, so you came with us to get it. Ever since that day, you’ve been one of my crew. You have worked so hard to be in the position that you’re in, and I’m very proud of you. You are so sweet, and I love that I get to work with you. Audrey, you are the most incredible person. You literally do anything I ask you to with a smile on your face. You take my craziness and calm me down. That is why you are the perfect person to be my assistant. I freak out over everything, and you are always so calm. You are amazing. Thank you for being my assistant. Thank you for calming down. You are so amazing, and I am so lucky to have you.

To my babies- Addie, Aubrey, and Kylie

My favorite thing about being an upperclassman is “adopting” underclassmen. You three are my favorite freshmen. You are incredible, friendly people, and I love you all. Addie, you have been by my side for a year. And now you go to school with me, and it’s amazing. Seeing you before class, and your little smiles in the hallway always brighten my day. You are such a sweet, funny, amazing person. I’m so glad that we got to spend so much time together during the play, and I cherish the moments that we get to have together. Thank you for standing by me after everything, and thank you for always being you. I love you. Aubrey, you have always been my little sister. I’ve always wanted one, and since you moved next door I claimed you as my own. I love all of our trips to the store, and our car ride gossip sessions. You are everything anyone could want in a little sister. I’m so glad that I get to spend so much time with you because anyone would be lucky to be your friend. You are an amazing girl, and you have so much passion inside. I love the girl that you are, and I will continue to love the woman you grow to be, I’m sure. You are such a light in my life, and I am so glad to have you. Kylie, you are such a silly goose. You are always making me laugh, and giving your two cents. I love that I’ve gotten to spend more time with you in the past couple of weeks. You are always welcome in my car. I love screaming Don’t Blame Me with you, and I love talking with you. You are such a smart, funny person. You are amazing. Don’t change Kylie, because you’re perfect. I hope you still want me to give you rides even after football and play.

To my ride or die- Ashley

It’s been me and you since day one. For twelve years now you’ve always been about fifty feet away. It’s hard to imagine it ever being any other way. We’ve been through so much together— first days, fights, heartbreak—we’ve seen it all. And here we are. Sixteen years old and still together. You’re still about fifty feet away. You have always been there for me. Since we were four-year-olds who knew next to nothing, up through now. You have been with me through so much, and you will never know how much I appreciate your constant support. I know I will always have you. You always have me, too. I will always be there for you. You can always call. You can always talk to me, and I will always listen. You are my day one, and you will be my ride or die until the end. You are the best friend I could ask for. Thank you for always making me smile, always listening to me complain about boys who live way too far away, and always supporting me. Thank you for inviting me to your meets and not making fun of me for being scared of your horse. Thank you for taking too many selfies with me that I will always cherish, and for trusting me. I love you to the end, and I appreciate you forever. Pinky promise.

To my constant light- Nora

You, Miss Nora, are beyond words incredible. I am struggling with what to say because I have so much to thank you for. Since we were twelve years old you’ve been there for me. You’ve stood by me through questionable choices, a global pandemic, years of no classes together, and so much more. You are such a kind, loving, funny person, and I am thankful every day for you. You always make me feel important. You make me feel like you want to talk to me. Thank you for that. Thank you for the gossip sessions and the fan-girling. Thank you for the TikTok’s and the texts. Thank you for making me feel wanted. You are such an incredible friend, and I am so thankful that you’ve shown me what being a good friend means. Thank you for that day four years ago that caused us to be as close as we are, and thank you for every moment we’ve spent together since then. I love you.

To my week-long oasis- WJMC

I hate trying new things. I get terrified and then I cry, and it’s a whole ordeal. But WJMC is something I will never regret trying. I met some of my favorite people, and I learned so much about the world and myself. Thank you WJMC for everything you did for me. Liz, thank you for being so you. Thank you for sitting at the back of the bus with me, and thank you for making me smile. Thank you for having the same taste in music as I do. Thank you for not pushing me out when I joined your little circle. I miss you. See you soon. Caroline, thank you for being so cool. You were so intimidating when I first met you. You are a gorgeous cheerleader from California, and that is scary. But you are so sweet, and you constantly made me laugh. Thank you for being incredible. I miss you tons. Zane, thank you for being the sweetest human ever. You are so incredibly amazing, and I still miss your kindness every day. Thank you for talking to me back then, and thank you for still talking to me now. I miss you every day, and I always look forward to seeing your name pop up on my phone. Adam, thank you for spilling the tea. You told us all the drama, and we lived off your stories. Thank you for changing your mind and deciding to join us. Thank you for keeping us entertained. I hope to see you soon.