Growing up with "High School Musical" was a blessing for so many people. Many people may disagree and say that HSM was an over publicized and overrated movie that teenagers were foolishly obsessed with. But the movies and stories are a memorable piece of my childhood that helped me develop into who I am today.

I became a dedicated fan instantly. My birthday parties were red and white, and East High was written on posters all over. My friends would get me HSM themed presents, like a locket and a colorful binder full of posters that are still lying around my room. I had Troy Bolton trading cards (which I kind of wish I still had), and multiple Zac Efron posters. I even named my little "fort" something HSM-related. I still remember my brother and his best friend acting out "Gotta Go My Own Way," I wish I had a smartphone back then. My mom still reminds of all my antics related to the movies: singing, dancing, trying to be Gabriella, and even writing about it.

All the dedicated fans waited by the television for the next movie, having parties and pigging out on junk food together. Most of us were preparing for the reunion hours in advance. Old friends joined for their own reunions, movie marathons and parties. The cast joined back together, as did the fans.

The lyrics of every song are permanently imprinted into my brain. Along with the idea that friends are together through everything, and that a few bumps in the road mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. In the final movie, HSM taught us to do what we really love, not what we are told to do. It helped us see that the boundaries we think we are held behind, mean nothing. It gave us more courage to chase our dreams.

Thank you cast for allowing me to see your characters grow up as I did. We saw your struggles and how you dealt with them, and as we grew we went through some of the same ones: breaking free from the status quo, summer jobs, the pressures of applying to and choosing a college, and relationships. You started as young, awkward teenagers and developed into bright and mature "grown-ups," just as we have done.

So my dear Peter Barsocchini, Disney Channel, and all the other producers, thank you for allowing me to grow up as a Wildcat. Thank you Kenny Ortega for teaching me my very limited amount of dance moves. Thank you characters for teaching me lessons about the real world of high school (sort of, there weren’t any dance numbers at my high school). How sticking to the status quo is not right. And that being a brainiac doesn’t mean you have to focus on school all the time. Thank you for showing me that my awkwardness is okay, and that looks aren’t everything, or how guys can bake a great creme brulee, and golf courses are great for picnics (and self-discovering music numbers). And that sometimes waiting for the first kiss is the right thing to do (because who wasn’t waiting to see Troy and Gabriella kiss), and that childish behaviors and make-believe are still acceptable, and everybody is fabulous in their own way.

You have impacted all of us in different ways. These movies will be a part of my life forever, and I will pass them along to my children. Because, in the words of Troy Bolton, "Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat."