When I was a senior in high school, I felt like I was one of a small handful of students who weren’t itching to leave it all behind and start anew. I had a group of friends that I loved and knew that we only had a short time left before we would be separated for weeks or months at a time. Over the past year, I've grown closer with some, while others have slowly drifted away. Regardless of which category you fit into, this is for you.

You mean more to me than words could ever describe. Whether we talk every day, or barely at all, I think of you all the time. When I pass the Wendy’s drive-thru we went through in the middle of the night, or when someone mentions traveling and I immediately flashback to getting lost in Florence. And, of course, I can’t help but think of you when someone else mentions their high school friends. You are my personified home. No matter how long we go without speaking or seeing each other, our friendship will always be there, and it will always be easy to pick up right where we left off.

I’m so proud of you. In high school, we didn’t have nearly as many opportunities as we do now. Over the past year, I've seen you land new jobs and internships, and I’ve finally seen you begin down the career paths you have desired for years. I’ve watched you fall in (or out) of love with your majors and begin to make your marks on your respective campuses. Whether you decide to stick with the major you've planned for five years, or if you decide that college isn’t your thing and you follow your dreams elsewhere, I’ll never stop being proud of you.

Thank you. Thank you for going through high school with me. Thank you for football and basketball games, and for nights spent driving around and talking about everything under the sun. Thank you for loving me through the college application process, which left us all on edge and sleep deprived. And for putting up with my awkward teen years (which are slowly becoming my awkward 20s), and for never having a shortage of stories beginning with, “Remember when." Thank you.

I love you. And I always will. Whether it’s now or in 20 years when the memories of our high school days are slowly fading, I will always love and support you in everything that you do. The next few years will be stressful, but don’t let that make them any less wonderful. Treat yourselves well, take chances, fall in love, learn something new, and know that if any of this fails, you’ll still have a group of people who love you unconditionally.