To Alexa:
Thank you so much for onboarding me. Without your guidance, I would never have begun writing for this community. Without you, I never would have had a creative outlet to express all my feeling and anxieties during my freshman year. I owe you all the success I have in this community to you.
To Emily and Amanda:
Thank you so much for being my mentors, and friends during our time together. You both taught me so much about what it meant to be vulnerable with my writing. Amanda, you were like a big sister to me. My shoulder to lean on, my go-to venting buddy and friend. I would not have gotten through my spring semester without you. Emily, thank you so much for encouraging me to get into leadership. You always made me feel valued and like my opinions were heard. You taught me so much about the different ways to communicate. You welcomed me as your EIC with open arms and never failed me. It was a true honor to work under you.
To Liv and Emi:
Emi, you were my first real connection with Headquarters once I entered leadership. From the time you interviewed me I knew you were going to have a huge impact on my life and growth with this team. You encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Whether I needed help with writing or leadership you were always there. Liv, you were my first real boss and constantly pushed me to be better! You were my goto hype girl, mentor, and friend! I loved our monthly calls and am still obsessed with your dog! Thank you so much for making me feel valued and like I was never dumb when I asked the most random questions.
To Headquarters:
While a lot has changed over recent years one thing has stayed consistent, the community of leaders you have built. Every former creator, content editor, Editor in Chief, President, and current or former community representative know what I am talking about. "Empowered Women, Empower Women" and "Empowered Writers, Empower Writers". Each of the people I have worked with has made me feel empowered and worthly over my time with this team. Thank you for building us up when we are down. Thank you for answering all of our endless questions, and thank you for acknowledging our hard work.
To My Community:
I honestly do not have the words to say how much I deeply care for each and every one of you. You all have such kind souls and are going to make the world a better place with your writing and future plans. Remember that while I am leaving I am still here for all of you through this time. Life is never easy, but life can always be fun! Please laugh a little each day! Talk about all of your favorite memes and complain about life. You guys have the greatest support system at your fingertips, so use it! I feel honored to have gotten to know most of you throughout my time here and have had some of the best mudhouse dates because of this group! (Also thank you for introducing me to mudhouse). Remember communication is key, and that if you can think of 3 things you did this week you can create an article out of them! To quote "The Help" "You is kind, you is smart, you is important".
To Jenna and Boni,
I could not be leaving this team in better hands! You both are going to do amazing things and I will always be here to mentor you! I have loved watching you both grow with this team! It truly makes my heart happy! Now go kill it!
With these little notes, I'd like to think I have put a bow on this chapter of my life. The next phase consists of finishing my undergraduate degree, starting my masters, becoming a teacher, and helping those around me in the best way I can. My goodbye is not a sad goodbye but the start of a new chapter in my life. A chapter that could not have been written without the support of those above!
