2016, what a year, am I right? There’s so much I have achieved, conquered, and experienced this year that I am wholly appreciative for and that I regret happening, and this is pretty much my letter to 2016 and those experiences. Let’s begin!

So what were the first couple months like? Well, I got the lead in the play, which was pretty much a big deal to me. I mean, to someone with crippling stage fright and what I thought was an under par voice, if that ain’t a damn miracle, then I don’t know what is! It was the middle of the end of my Senior year. The last year I would walk the halls of Wheatland- Chili. So you could guess I was ready to get the hell out of there. But I knew if I were to miss anything, it would be Drama Club. I was a Theater Nerd. I mean, not as hardcore as some, but I was up there. I was always more interested in stage crew anyway, but I took the chance and it brought me there, Center Stage, in front of my Wheatland Family. Can I just say, you all are some of the most empowering and encouraging people I have ever met? I really didn’t, and still don’t think, I was that good, but you all insisted that I should, “Go on American Idol," and that I should become, “A Singing Politician.” You all are amazing and I really appreciate it because I thought I was on top of the world for the next three weeks.

I know I talk about this a lot and I probably sound like one of those, “I peaked in high school,” type of people. But I promise you it was something that changed my life. Senior year wasn’t my first doing the musical. I had been doing it for five years. Pit in eighth, Ensemble my Freshman year, Stage Manager Sophomore and Junior year, then to a lead character in 2016. This program was something I literally grew up in. The same group of people and my directors were like a solid family I had by my side for five years straight. I feel like I bring up the same points every time I talk about this, but if you’ve ever experienced something like this, you’d feel repetitive too. Music was always a huge part of my life. From youth to now, it was always something I turned to when I felt lonely or angry. Stressed or tired, I always relied on music to make me feel better or just raise me mood. It’s weird to think that I’ve been playing the clarinet for about ten years. That my brother’s trombone was the thing that really made me want to take up an instrument. That my grandma used to be in a band when she was a teenager. That both my Mom and Dad both were in band and played clarinet and trombone respectively. It’s weird to think that the first time I ever sang in front of people was when I was five, and I broke down crying. It’s weird because all these things had led me to the point I stood at, Center Stage. Making my brother, cousins and my Dad cry is just one of those things you shouldn’t cherish, but I actually do. It’s still weird because you look back on it and you can’t believe that you did it and you keep talking about it because you just need reassurance that you actually did it. It’s one of those things you show your kids to embarrass the them and yourself, but you secretly love watching because you remind yourself that that was you. You did something you thought you would never do. You achieved something so high about your goals that you can’t help but talk about it. I’ll stop, I swear, just let me bask in the ambiance for a little longer okay?

What else happened? Oh! WE WON SECTIONALS!! That’s huge! I mean, I didn’t play, but my team won, so I won! I remember when people would say that Wheatland-Chili Girls Basketball was an awful team and that we could barely win a game, let alone Section V Sectionals. But look at us now! The last time our Women’s team won a basketball match, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t even born yet! Basketballs was one of those things I had to say goodbye to after high school ended but I had always appreciated being a part of while I was in high school. You could bet your buns that I wasn’t ready for those suicide runs for free throws, which I was given the name Shaq for because I could never make one, and I definitely wasn’t ready for those Senior Night speeches Grimes gave one our last home game, but it was something I was glad that I got to experience. I remember when I made the team my Freshman year and I thought I was so cool because there were actual tryouts, with cuts and everything, and I just happened to make the team. It was one of the first things I had to actually try hard for. Well, that I intentionally tried hard for. I’m not going to say that everything just came to me. I wasn’t a musical prodigy, and I definitely wasn't amazing at soccer when I first started, but those things were easier to get by without trying for me. I was the goalie for JV Soccer. I literally just had to make sure the ball didn’t get behind me. By my Freshman year of high school, I had already learned two other instruments. I didn’t need to focus on those. Basketball was something that I felt I could stick with and be good at in some way. I was, still am, big and can cover a large area of the paint: Put Me as Center! I could, at the time, make an easy lay up: Put Me as Center. I was taller than most girls, so rebounds were a breeze: PUT ME AS CENTER! So that’s what my coach did. My JV years were my best years if you ask me, but I’m here to talk about 2016. It was amazing being apart of such a wonderful team and going to Sectionals and winning. Winning our league and going to the dinner and looking all fancy and such with my fellow Seniors. Everything was amazing with an amazing group of girls.

Centers Squad was my entire basketball career. Thank you Bri and Elizabeth for always making fun of me for being to overly hyped before games, listening to me cry about stupid things while in the hotel room and forever picking on Brook and Whitehead. #LetMeHearYou ?

Next came Graduation. The “big” Class of 2106 was finally leaving Wheatland. I’m sorry to say this, actually no I’m not. We really were one of the better classes to graduate, weren’t we? I mean, if Peets said it, it must be true! We were a small but mighty class. We were a class of unity and support among a majority of us. We may have talked bad about each other sometimes, but it was hard for me to hate many in my class. We are some great kids, if I can say that about us. It’s not often where you can find a class where most of us can just go up to another and smile and have a conversation with each other. Even if it was small talk, I at least could say that it wasn’t hard for me. I loved being in the class of 2016. We did everything. From sports, to clubs, to school, to music. We excelled in so much that it was hard to call us an awful class.

I’m not trying to brag, but it isn’t often that you find a class like us. We are some great kids, aren’t we? I don’t think I would’ve bonded better with any other group of kids, and I’m so glad I grew up with every single one of them. I don’t even want to know what I would be like if I was a grade above or below us. I’m not saying that they were bed, but I just wouldn’t change a thing about us or myself. To Wheatland’s Class of 2016, WE MADE IT! We graduated, we started college this year. We’re turning into adults, slowly anyway. We live on our own. We have to learn to cook. We clean our own rooms. We do our own laundry. We have to wake up on our own now, take care of our own responsibilities.

Eye opening right? We can get through this. We’re starting our own little adventure and so far, I don’t know how I feel about it yet. But, I hope the next four years a amazing to all of us!

We started college this year… What the actual heck? I thought I was ready to adult, but I was wrong. I have to wake up on my own now. I have to take care of my own responsibilities. I want my Mom! At first, it was hard. I definitely thought I was ready to go to college and do my own thing, but I learned something; I wasn’t ready. Nope, not at all. Was I ready to try to be independent? Yes. Was I ready to think I was going to be a smooth running machine as soon as I stepped onto campus? Yes. Was I any of those things? Not. At. All. The one thing I thought was going to be easy for me was actually the hardest.

Making friends was one of the hardest things I had to do and if it were for me just randomly joking around in my classes, I’d still probably only have my roommate as a friend. Being lonely in college is the scariest thing that can happen to someone. Especially if you leave home for college, it would help the transition if you made friends, and I was sure that there was no way in hell I was going to go friendless my first year of college. Luckily I’m just a goofball and I like to talk. If it weren’t for my talkative nature, I would be all alone and without friends. Granted, I still spend a majority of my time sleeping and doing my homework in my dorm, but it’s always nice to know that I can just call one of my friends to my dorm or just walk to theirs.

I joined Canisius’ Club Rugby team, which was one of the best decisions of my life. Being the youngest on the team means I have four full years of Scrums, Rucks and the struggle of trying to find where someone hid our new uniforms. I joined almost every club known to man, made the life decision to learn German, and passed all my exams (God I hope so). I went to parties and found myself making memories with my new friends that I will forever hang onto. So Alicia, Kayla, Lauren, Ryan, Kassie, Ruijie, Ryan, and Jerry, hell, even Frenchie! Thank you for giving me a great first semester. See you next year! (All except Kassie who decided to leave us after one semester and Frenchie who is returning to party in France)

So that’s my Thank you letter to 2016. We had a great run. I hope next year is just as eventful as this one was. So, let’s cheers to the New Years! I pray all of you are safe and enjoy your time back home. I love all of you!

P.S. I wanted to put some extra pictures at the end. Have A Great Holiday!!