I wouldn't be who I am today without you. So first and foremost, I wanted to thank you. Rather than telling you that you made a mistake and that you shouldn’t have doubted me in the first place, I wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done for me.

Your perpetual doubt in my thoughts, aspirations, and general ideas, challenged me to not only become a better person, but instilled a fight-back attitude that has gotten me to exactly where I had hoped that I would be. So with every late night, long drive, and with all the blood sweat and tears I have put into becoming me, you have provided me with a reason to do so.You are the reason that when I fall, I pick myself back up, shake the dust off any carry-on- because I’ll be damned if you can ever say that you were right.

So:

Thank - you to all the bosses who screamed in my face and said that “maybe you just aren’t cut out for this”, because you shaped me into the mold-able cookie cutter I am today: who can be cut out for anything. You taught me that sometimes, even if I slaved over what I did, it would never be good enough for anyone but me (and I taught myself that that was okay).

Thank - you to all the teachers; the teachers who failed me, and who said that my ideas were crazy, that my handwriting was too sloppy, and that my facts were not straight. Thank you for telling me that my proposals didn’t make sense and that my goals were too high to reach. Without you, I wouldn’t have a 4.0 in college, or be in pursuit of a degree at all.

Thank - you to the boys who just didn't quite get me; who told me I was too focused on school or work. To the ones who undermined my dreams and told me that I was worth “so much more” than all the studying and long hours at a job that I loved. Who said that I was "too much" and took everything "too seriously." Thank you for showing me that some people will never understand why you do what you do.

Thank - you to all my peers and family members who have questioned my career choices and college major. Your doubt has only made me strive further and work harder. Without you, I would not be in pursuit of a profession that I love.

Thank - you to all the "friends" who never thought that I could do it-that left me sitting there alone with my thoughts. Thank you for leaving me behind, to sit alone at lunch and to spend the weekends by myself. Thank you for giving me the time to read wonderful books, watch wonderful films, and to learn. Without you, I wouldn't be as informed or as worldly as I am now.

Thank - you to anyone, anywhere who has ever doubted me, because you taught me lessons that I may had not have learned otherwise. Thank you for teaching me how to be strong-willed, persistent and to do exactly what I want. As you can see, I’ve got a lot of people to prove wrong- and if you were ever going to stop doubting me on something- me proving them wrong might be a good place to start.