First, I would like to say I hope you all are proud. I hope that when you look at my life and my accomplishments that you take credit for helping me get there. If it wasn’t for each and every one of your kind words and bits of advice I would not even be close to the person I am today. It was not your job to raise me, but you did it anyway. You gave me tough love and wisdom and everything I needed to succeed in this world.

So, to my past friends, thank you. I don’t think that I ever give you all enough credit. You were the ones that first taught me what it was like to have a friend. You taught me how to share, how to laugh, how to dress, and how to stand up for myself. While you were my first heart break, you were also my first love. I truly didn’t know what it was like to love people other than my family until all of you were a part of it. While we most likely don’t talk to each other anymore, I still want to take the time to thank you for everything that you did to raise me into the person I am today.

To my neighbors and my best friend’s parents, thank you. Because of you I always had a home. You invited me in with open arms and treated me like one of the family. You gave me advice that I could never get from my parents and were the objective third party when I needed to complain about them. When I was too embarrassed to talk to my mom about the thing I still won’t mention, you listened and told me exactly what I needed to hear. You showed me what it was like to love someone unconditionally, even though it was never your job to do so. Thank you for being my second home.

To my teachers and my professors, thank you. Even though I might not remember a single word that you said in the classroom, I remember everything you said outside of it. It was the time that you took to get to know me as a person, not as a student, that has had the most impact on my life. You were the ones who encouraged me to pursue my crazy dreams and told me that I was more capable than I could ever imagine. You gave me the strength to keep going when I was so far down. It is because of you that I have succeed in school and am now about to graduate from college. And to the teachers who didn’t think I was smart or didn’t even know who I was, I’m even thankful for you. You are the ones who made me want to prove everyone wrong and never give up on myself like you did. You taught me that the only opinion that really mattered was my own. So, thank you.

To my current friends, thank you. I’m not even sure where to begin. You are my support system, my rock, the ones that keep me going on my worst days. You believe in me when I can’t believe in myself and you are always there with your words of encouragement. There are so many things that you all do on the daily that just astounds me. You are the friends I always wanted and the family I never knew I needed. You are the ones who taught me that I’m no longer a little girl but a strong woman who is capable of anything I put my mind to.

And to my parents, thank you. Thank you for doing all the heavy work in raising me. While everybody else got to see me on my best behavior, you had to deal with me at my worst. When I was in middle school and insisted on hanging out with the people I probably should have avoided, you stuck with me and let me learn my lesson. When I was in high school and wanted nothing to do with you, never once did you turn your backs on me. You were there, loving me through thick and thin. And when I moved off to college and started living an independent life, you were always there when I felt homesick and just needed a familiar voice. You are my best friends and my biggest support, so thank you.

It’s true, it takes a village to raise a child. The weight of helping a child become an adult rests on all of those that are around them. It’s the teachers and the neighbors and the friends that they meet along the way that shape them into the people they will become.

So, to my village, thank you for shaping me into the person I am today. I hope you are proud of the woman you raised.