Believer, communicator, leader, critical thinker—these four attributes were drilled into our minds on the regular. We may have loathed it at times, but as an alum, I can honestly say that I have become each of these four things because of my time spent at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School. DSHA is a special place. It is a place where girls go to learn and grow—spiritually, academically, physically, mentally and socially. Freshmen enter as awkward and self-conscious, and leave as seniors who are confident and capable.

The uniforms do not simply define us as "Catholic school girls," but rather, they strive to promote equality among all the students, regardless of financial, religious or familial background. That's the very unique thing about DSHA, all different types of demographics are represented among the student body. I cannot thank DSHA enough for teaching me that being different is not a bad thing, in fact, it's awesome. Because at DSHA, students are encouraged to pursue their passions; whether they be in the classroom, on the stage, on the court or on the field.

When I was in high school, my favorite question to be asked was, "Where do you go to school?" This question made me beam. I was so proud that I had the privilege to say, "I go to Divine Savior Holy Angels." Even now, as I am a freshman at Marquette University, when I say that I am from Milwaukee, inevitably the question comes up. When I say I went to DSHA, people immediately nod and smile. It's a badge of honor of sorts. Even though I no longer attend DSHA, I still feel as though I am responsible for representing its values.

At DSHA, I learned the importance of family, the magic of sisterhood and the influence of teachers. My class of 173 girls became my family, I had 172 amazing sisters that supported me no matter what, and continue to do so, even to this day. Because the bond of sisterhood is sacred, and I have learned that it is something that cannot be compromised. Finally, to say that the staff at Divine Savior Holy Angels influenced me would simply be an understatement. The things that I learned in the classroom are invaluable to me, and I believe that I am a better problem solver, risk taker, writer and person, because of the things they taught me.

When I look back on my time spent there, the good always overshadows the bad. My triumphs were always celebrated over my failures. I was taught that your mistakes do not define you, but it is how you carry yourself after you make these mistakes that does. My time spent at DSHA was bittersweet in retrospect. I am so very pleased with what I was able to accomplish during my time there, and I can only hope that today's students have the same opportunities, if not more.

Putting it simply, I am who I am because I was a dasher. Or should I say, am a dasher. Because once you're a dasher, you're always a dasher. And even though I still might not understand why the mascot for a dasher is a penguin, I still love and respect Penny dearly.

It is once you've endured an English class with the infamous Tim Grandy, talked about boys with David Lynch, heard about all four of Judie Gillespie's sons, watched Patrick Dawson's Spice Girls dance, had Youtube Tuesday with Lisa Metz, seen every pair of shoes that Christine Weiss owns and received an out-of-uniform demerit from Dean Bentley, that you can truly wear the plaid proudly.

All jokes aside, DSHA is home. DSHA is one of those places that you can return to and always feel at ease. Sure things have changed, the building is different, teachers rotate in and out and students graduate, but the very building where some of my best memories have taken place is still there. It's had quite the upgrade, but it's still there in all its glory. I wouldn't trade a second of high school for anything in the entire world. It surprises me when people talk badly about their high school experience, but then I realize, not everyone had the same experience I had. Not everyone had the chance to understand what it means to be able to walk down those hallowed halls, what it means to be a dasher. Two things that I cherish, two things that I embrace, know, and love.

Thanks for everything, DSHA. I promise I'll be home soon.