The Teen Advisory Group, or TAG for short, has been a large part of my time as a young adult, and has made my transition from a child to an adult much more fun. I have so many things to say, so first I’ll say, thank you. TAG is a small group at both the Jonesborough and Gray libraries in Washington County, and is open to all kids from sixth grade to their senior year in high school. This club is one where the members become as close your own family, and that is exactly what you are to me. TAG made me feel like I belonged to something that was good when there were times that I felt alone. I was able to rely on the members of the TAG group, and now I can still rely on them even after I leave, and this type of bond seems to be rare now. The fact that I was able to find such a thing makes me cherish TAG all the more.

TAG also helped me accept who I was as a person. I was never really an outgoing person, despite what others may think, but at TAG I could be myself, and the best part was that was celebrated. I could be a complete weirdo and everyone at TAG would go right along with it, and we would laugh about; it was like we were having the time of our lives when we would get together, and that make these memories all the more special.

A wonderful thing that TAG taught me was the ability to give. Long before I was racking up community service hours in high school, I was helping out at the library every summer with TAG members at the Summer Reading Program. Being able to give back to the library, even in such a small way taught me that giving back, even just a little bit, to those who help me make a greater impact than I might realize at the moment. Because of this lesson I have been taught by the TAG program, I find myself helping around n places I probably wouldn’t if I hadn’t started because of TAG.

A big thing in more recent years of being with TAG that I have come across are lasting friendships. The friendships I have developed because of the program would not have even formed if it weren’t for the program. TAG brings people together, and it is such a wonderful thing to witness and be a part of as well. I know for a fact the friendships I have developed from meeting people at TAG will last for the years to come, and I can’t wait to see how these friendships pan out in the future.

TAG has been a big part of my life, and I wouldn’t be the person I am without it. The wonderful people I have met from it are wonderful, and I couldn’t see myself without their influences. Thank you for being there, and keep on being amazing.