I'm halfway done with my freshman year of college, and just like anyone else, i've reminisced on my last four years since being here. But, it's not the kids in my class and the familiar faces in the hall i've been missing. The people who have shaped my life in high school and provided the most moral support between the brick walls and school bells were the faculty and staff; this is a thank you note to the adults I became so close with.

Thank you for listening and lending a judgmental free ear. High school drama is nothing more than petty and dumb Even though I know that now, I didn't realize it at the time, but don't worry I sure do now (yikes). Thank you for letting me talk and know my gossip won't spread. My problems and drama were so minuscule, but thank you for listening anyway.

You all provided me with genuine support. We all need a best friend to confide in, but a teenager giving advice is more often than not, manipulative You taught me how to make good and smart decisions. And looking back at prom, i'm glad I picked the classy and sophisticated dress you told me to get rather the low cut tight option my friends voted on to "win" the heart of a guy i'll most likely never speak to again.

A lot of growing I did I owe to you. You issued to me exactly what I needed to hear no matter how much I would resent you for it. If I asked my friends if what I was doing was dumb, they would tip toe around the blatant YES YOU'RE AN IDIOT in order to protect our friendship and make sure I was still driving them to Panera after school was out.

I know when i'm at work, I take advantage of every second I have on my lunch break. I never set in time for visitors, but you did. If I was either fighting with my friends or having a really crummy day you opened your office doors up to me. I'm sure the last thing you wanted to do was eat cafeteria food AND hangout with a teenage girl with guy problems, but I valued our conversations more than anything.

More often than not, the words "I want to go home" were coming out of my mouth starting at eight AM homeroom. Wanting to leave is a normal feeling in high school, but I didn't have to take the half hour commute and bear the wrath of my parents for missing school to catch a break in the middle of the day. Thank you for letting me lay down in your office, skip class to talk, and occasionally cry whenever I needed to. You all knew me at what was the best and worst time in my life , and thats both a blessing and a curse. Thank you for being my at-school parent, therapist, shoulder to cry on, and a friend.