They always say home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling. I’ve found my home and now I have to say goodbye. 

Moving onto college has been my biggest fear since I’ve gotten to high school. Learning how to be independent and living without my friends and family sounded impossible to me.

The saying you become the person you surround yourself with is so true. I’ve had the same best friends since sixth grade, and they each give me a different perspective on life and push me to be the best I can be. 

Surround yourself with the people who love you for who you truly are, that is how you will learn to love yourself. You have the opportunity to see from your friends everyday why they love you, which helps you understand what is so amazing about yourself. 

Kate, Maggie and Rylee, thank you for loving me at my lows and never failing to be there for me when I needed you guys. I seriously would not have survived high school without you all, and I cannot wait to make more memories, even though we will be in different places next year. 

I would also like to thank Xavier Campus Ministry for bringing a new group of friends into my life this year. Kairos 40 changed my life, I met people I never thought I would be friends with and strengthened my relationships with people I knew before. Arnold, Dom, Ella, Grace, Hope, Nick and Val, you each hold a special place in my heart and I know God has blessed me with an amazing group of people to help me grow as a person and in my faith life.

This is it, it’s time to leave. What I’ve dreaded most my whole life is having to say goodbye to pieces of my heart. I will always call these people my home. Here’s to a new chapter in my life. Alexa, play “I’ll Always Remember You” by Hannah Montana.