The past eight years of my life have I not only spent most of my days in a school classroom, but I have also spent countless hours in a dance studio learning just as valuable lessons. Every teacher I was blessed with in school and in dance have shaped me into the person that I am today, and have taught me how to truly live my life to the fullest.

I can not thank you all enough for all that you have done for me and for so many others. You are all the greatest role models that I could have ever asked for, and I can never express enough how much that means to me.

You gave me something to look forward to on a bad day, words of wisdom when I felt lost, and a person that I knew I could trust to support me and love me no matter what.

I certainly would not be who I am today if you had not taught me these five lessons.

1. You taught me how to embrace myself

I now know who I am; I have discovered my individuality. You helped me discover who I am, and how to be proud of that person. I am now not afraid to be different or to stand out. I know how to embrace my inner and outer self.

2. You taught me how to embrace others

I now know the importance of others, and how important it is to form strong positive relationships. Because of how you impacted me, I know how much one single person can affect another.

3. You taught me how to be happy even when I was sad

I now know how to find the good in every moment of life. I know how to look on the bright side of things, always focus on the positives, and not let one bad thing ruin me or bring me down.

4. You taught me how to believe in everything I do

I now know that it doesn't matter what other people think of me or what I do, as long as I am happy with myself. If I truly believe in myself, I can do anything that my heart and mind desire.

5. You taught me how to live my life through passion, purpose, and love

I now know how to truly live my life with meaning. I now follow my heart in all that I do, with nothing stopping me. You showed me how to do what I love, and love what I do. Because of the love and passion that flows out of you, I now know that it comes from within. It is up to me to live my life with purpose, to love everything and everyone, and to live passionately. No one can tell me how to live my life, it is mine. With passion, purpose, and love comes happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction.

You were all someone that I knew I could look up to throughout those years, and someone I continue to admire to this day. I hope to one day become half of the person that you all are. I also hope to one day impact someone the way that you have impacted me.

Thank you so much for making me, me. I love you!