Being in college is one of the most stressful, tiring, and amazing things that people are able to experience. We all go to college knowing that we will come out with a degree but one thing that we don’t always expect is that we also come out with a new family. Some make this new family right away their freshman year but, if you’re like me, it doesn’t happen until your senior year. So, to the best friends/family that I made in year four, this one is for you.

Thank you for being the gift that I never saw coming. By the time that I made it to my fourth and final year of school, I thought I was done making new friends. I thought I had already made my life-long friends and I was ready to graduate and start my life. Boy, was I wrong! Less than a month into school, I knew that I met some people who were completely changing my life. I never saw it coming. I never knew that I could form such tight relationships with people in just a few short weeks. I never knew someone could become that important to me in such a short amount of time.

Thank you for selflessly loving me. I am human. I am not perfect. I have mental breakdowns, I forget to do things, I get sick, I get lazy, and I make mistakes. You guys are always there to pick me up, remind me of what I need to do, care for me, and help me fix my mistakes. You value me and selflessly love me. I know that if I ever am in need of anything, you all will drop everything that you are doing to help me. You open your homes to me, offer food to me, and countless other selfless acts. You make me feel like I am family.

Thank you for experiencing life with me and growing with me. Life loves to throw things that we don’t expect at us. Sometimes we are able to overcome those curve balls by ourselves and sometimes we feel like every part of us is broken and we cannot do it alone. Thank you for being there for me whether I need you or not. It’s much easier to know that I have a team to deal with every situation with me. I know that when I graduate in May, I have people who will be supporting me no matter what I decide to do and will always be encouraging my life decisions. We take every opportunity to learn and grow together. We learn from each other’s mistakes. We laugh together and we cry together. We are in this together.

Lastly, thank you for being more than I deserve. I love you all and I hope that you get as much as I do from our friendship.