It’s an interesting thing to be standing on the precipice on something so large and unknown. My whole life I’ve been prepped for the day I graduate. Now I’m writing my goodbye letter to Bowie High School and I know I’m finally here. I made it to the end.

So if our high school experiences are defined by the organizations that we were in, the milestones we achieved, the friends we made, the friends we lost, and the things that we shouldn’t have done but did anyway, we have a lot to show for the four years spent at Bowie. I know that I do.

My high school experience is defined as a whirlwind of baseball games, yearbook spreads, newspaper deadlines, my PALees, and so much more. When I started as a freshman, I never imagined I would find my niche at Bowie and now I’m here, and I’m forever grateful to the people who helped me along the way.

Thank you to my mom—for being my best friend, for teaching me compassion, and always knowing what to say. To my dad—for being my number one cheerleader, believing in me even when I don’t, and for teaching me to take the world by storm. To my brothers—for being goofy, fun-loving people that remind me to not take everything so seriously. To my sister—I’m stuck with you for the rest of my life and I’ve never been so grateful for anything else in the world. To my grandma—for the sacrifices you’ve made to get me where I am today.

To my best friends—Sophie: I love you more than anything in the world and knowing you has made me a better person. You’ve been with me through it all & I’m so thankful. Mel: My twin. You’ve kept me sane and you are the most accepting person I know. And Jamie: Our dreams are coming true, me in New York and you in L.A.. You’re going to do such amazing things and I cannot wait to stand by you through it all.  To Abby—you are the only other person who gets it all. The only other person who understands the value of quality queso, will lose sleep over fonts, and rant over the “smallest” mistakes in the newspaper (though you & i both know that it’s never a “small” mistake).

To Mr. & Mrs. Pfeiffer—you guys have ignited a passion in me for literature. You’ve taught me that English is not random, but rather questions that challenge what we think about the human condition. Y’all have made me a creative thinker. To Mr. Garcia—for seeing potential in me as a PAL. For always listening, giving advice, and looking out for all of us. You’ve taught me to never give up, and that the word “no” is just a temporary setback. To the PALS—the comfort of knowing that I will always have people to turn to is unexplainable. Y’all have made me a better person. You are the only people at the school who get it. I’m forever grateful for slow dancing together in our burning room.

To Ms. Shirack—you’ve taught me to push my creative style. You’re always there to listen, advise, and I”m so grateful I’ve gotten to know you. To Ms. Dellana—you ignited a passion for design in me that has yet to be put out. You set the foundation for my journalism career. To Mr. Reeves—Words cannot express how grateful I am that I got to know you. No matter how much I tease you about not being there, I know that you are working behind the scenes to help me accomplish everything I want out of Bowie. You’ve never attempted to stunt my vision, instead choosing to let it grow into something I can be proud of. You’ve allowed me to shine as a leader. You had faith in me before I had faith in myself. #SchoolDad.

And finally, to the best group of weirdos a girl could ask for: my staff—you made it so easy for me to be your Editor-in-chief. Y’all have made me laugh on my worst days and made newspaper the safe haven I was longing for. I’ll miss the strange debates during lunch, the endless Saturday work-days, and our crazy convention adventures across the country. It’s easy to show the impact we’ve had on Bowie—we have a billion awards to show for it. It’s harder to explain the monumental impact y’all have had on me. You guys have made me a better person. I’ll never forget it.