To my sister, Avery, for being my built-in best friend: 

We no longer live in the same house or share the same bathroom, but you will always be the same girl to me, no matter how many things change. You will always be my older sister who is funny, beautiful, confident, and everything I have ever wanted to be. I am so grateful that you are my sister, and that we have managed to stay close since you moved out of the house four years ago. Thank you for being my mentor, my biggest supporter, and my best friend.

To my brother, Sawyer, for being someone I can miss:

This year is not the same without you living at home. You went to college, and somehow, it is the closest we have ever been. I miss those drives to school with you, the Starbucks runs, the matcha grabs, and everything in between. I never realized how much I would miss you and what we did together while you were still in high school. Lately, you have really stepped up as my brother, and I am so glad we have become close again. We are able to share most, not all, things about our lives with one another, which I am so grateful for because it was not like that. Thank you for growing up with me and making me feel less alone. 

To my Mom and Dad, for showing me unconditional love:

Through all the fights and all the arguments, I am confident enough to say that you have never stopped loving me even once, and I have never stopped loving the both of you. Thank you for being there for me on my worst days and celebrating me on my best. Now that I am alone in the house with the both of you, I constantly find myself coming to you guys when I am bored, and I am grateful you were there to listen. Thank you for all the opportunities you have given me and all the support you have shown me throughout my sixteen years. I would not be where I am today without your unconditional love, so thank you for making that a constant in my life. 

To Grandma and Grandpa, for being there through it all: 

After countless volleyball games and many school events, I look up and always see you two in the stands. I am so grateful that you guys are always there and never fail to show up for me. I am beyond grateful for what both of you have given me, physically and emotionally. I love you both forever, and I am so thankful that you have never missed a moment in my life. 

To Mia, for being the best best friend:

You have always shown me what true friendship is, and you have bettered me as a person. Thank you for making me experience so much growth in my character these past few years; I owe a lot of my personality to you. I am so grateful we were brought together in our early elementary school years, and we have not stopped being friends since. The past 10 years with you have been such a blessing. 

To Cece, for being my comedic relief:

Whenever we are together, I always find myself laughing until I can not breathe. You are such a fun person to hang out with, and I am so grateful you invited me to your fifth-grade birthday party that started it all. I would not want to go through the Central Woodlands and middle school awkward phase with anyone else. Thank you for also being my movie marathon buddy and being down to watch whatever. Whether it is a rated-R horror film or Descendants, you were always ready to watch with me. You are such an amazing friend, and I do not know what I would do without you. 

To Lydia, for being my car-rot buddy:

You are such a sweet person, and you never fail to lighten the mood. I love car rotting together in the morning when we dread going into school, and I love it whenever we get to hang out. You have such a gentle and welcoming personality, and I can always count on you. I am grateful that we were brought together by others, and thank you for always being kind. 

To Abby, for being my cake-eating buddy:

I feel so comfortable around you, and I never feel judged when we do things together. I know I can be myself, do embarrassing things, and eat like crazy, and it is comforting to have a friend like that by my side. Thank you for being my chauffeur when I could not drive, and always being down for a Starbucks run. Whenever we see each other, there is never a dull moment, and I am so grateful for that. Our friendship has grown so much over the past year, but I knew from the start that we would click. I am so grateful that you are in my life, and I depend on you so much, so thank you for being a reliable friend.

To Maya, for always understanding:

Even though we do not see each other very often, our friendship never ever changes. We can go months without a real conversation, and then one day we randomly hang out, and it is like no time has passed. I love the traditions we have together and all of our inside jokes, but mostly I love you as a person. You get things about me that no one else does, and I talk to you about things I can not talk to anyone else about. I am so excited to go on spring break with you this year, and I can not wait to see where we will go in life together. 

To Kylin, for being the kindest person I know:

There are so many ways to describe you, but if I had to do it in one word, I know what I would pick: warm. Your presence is warm, and you have never been mean to me ever. You have the sweetest soul, and I am so grateful to have you. On my hard days, you are the positivity that I need, and you always come through. I love playing volleyball with you, and I love being with you in general. We can relate about so many things, and I know I can trust you with my life. Thank you for being such a great friend throughout all of these years, and for being someone who always spreads kindness.

To Leah, for going on side quests with me:

I love that whenever we do anything, it is always quickly decided and random. We made the decision to go to Panera together about 15 minutes before school ended. I always love going on random walks with you during sixth hour, going to see if the vending machine is deciding to work certain days, and making TikToks on your famous accounts. When we are together, we are either laughing uncontrollably or talking about buldak ramen. I am so grateful that we met in high school, and I can not wait for more years of TCT adventures to come with you. 

To Josie, for always being real with me:

You are one of, if not, my favorite seniors. We have been friends since my freshman year, meeting in social psychology through Mr. Pierce. I am so grateful that we have managed to stay friends, and I love being your junior. I love the way we talk to each other, and whenever I see you, I always light up. Thank you for being a role model for me. I cannot wait to see where you go in life.

To Addy, for being my pepper partner:

I am so grateful that I met you and we got close this year. Volleyball would not have been nearly as fun without you there with me. Thank you for choosing me to be your pepper partner; that was always the highlight of game days for me. You were always so kind to me, and I love that we can always make each other laugh to the point of suffocation. Now that I know you, I don’t know how I went on before without a presence like yours. You are so positive and full of light, so thank you for being my senior. 

To Dylan, for always caring:

I am beyond grateful that you came into my life. Even though it took a long time for us to happen, I would do it all over again. I am so thankful for you, even if I do not always do the best job of showing it. You do so much for me and care for me like no one ever has before. You are the one person in my life who is always making sure that we hang out and spend as much time together as possible. These past few months with you have been such a blessing, and I cannot wait for many more with you and for what our future holds. You are exactly the person I prayed for for so long. 

Thank you Teagan, for always complimenting me. Thank you Aubrey, for obsessing over celebrities with me. Thank you Bryeigh, for being one of the funniest people I have ever met. Thank you Adriana, for having so many inside jokes with me. Thank you Ashlyn, for being the best cousin I could ask for. Thank you Madison, for being my lang buddy. Thank you Kayla, for always brightening my day at lunchtime. Thank you Emma, for being relatable. Thank you Olivia, for being someone I can confide in. Thank you Simiana, for making Mongolia jokes with me. Lastly, thank you Mr. George, for believing in me and helping me out always. 

To TCT:

Kathryn, for being funny and relatable. Sophia, for making jokes with me. Addie M, for being a kind person. Micah, for making funny TikTok references all the time. Ella, for knowing the meaning of “mornin.” Maylee, for being such a talented writer. Elle, for being a wonderful Editor-in-Chief. Ellerie, for walking around in the halls with me. Brooke, for being such a warm presence. Nova, for being nice to me and sometimes giving me my Starbucks order. Cam, for always sharing your favorite stories. Addie W, for being a great example. Evelyn, for being such a good role model in this class.