Dear family, friends, acquaintances, and everyone who has made an impact on my life (you know who you are),

Believe it or not, freshman move-in day is less than two weeks away. That seems absolutely insane because I feel like I should still be that awkward middle school age kid who was trying to make friends in a new ecosystem. Fast forward seven years, nonetheless, and another foreign environment stands before me. However, this time, around in new territory, I will not be 10 minutes away from home, I will not be 10 minutes away from my parents, and I will not be 10 minutes away from old friends. Instead, I will be hours away from the things that I deem most important and the people that I love the most. It’s rather odd, in situations like this, many that are leaving tend to say, “goodbye.” I’d like to offer a separate approach and say, “Thank you.” Here it goes.

To my parents, thank you for encouraging me to grow. Thank you for always being there for me which encouraged my trust to grow. Thank you for taking me on adventures which encouraged me to grow a fun-loving spirit. Thank you for instilling Catholic/Christian values in me, which encouraged me to ethically grow. Thank you for providing me with a good education, which encouraged me to academically grow. Thank you for letting me go out on my own, which encouraged me to grow my maturity. Most of all, thank you for being more than just my parents. It is quite odd to say this, but you guys are some of my closest friends.

To my grandparents (whether you are living, in heaven, or not even blood at all), thank you for subtly teaching me what is right and what is wrong. Thank you for telling me stories that I have heard 100 times before.

To my aunts and uncles, thank you for always offering a fun alternative to my parents. Thank you for always working hard to show me that I can accomplish whatever I want.

To my cousins, thank you for letting me go to your plays and sporting events. I expect free tickets to Broadway shows and MLS games in the near future.

To my friends, thank you all for putting up with my horrible puns. Thank you for entertaining my rants whether they be sports related, politics related, or honestly any other topic we have ever talked about. Thank you for showing me the difference between confidence and arrogance. Predominantly though, thank you for being just as important to me as my family.

To my friends that I rarely speak to anymore, thank you for being there when I needed you most. Thank you for going against what everyone else said about me to make me feel welcome. If you ever need anything, I am one phone call away.

To my acquaintances, it’s a shame we never became close friends. Although we did not always hang out, I was often watching and admiring what you were doing. Thank you for always doing the right thing even though you thought no one was watching. I was. That taught me to do the same and helped me become a better person.

To my coaches, thank you for putting up with my lack of talent. Thank you for teaching me new things to improve on my game on and off the field. Oh, and to that one basketball coach, thank you for just being yourself because that taught me to never, ever, be a human being like you.

To my bosses and everyone I looked up to, thank you for taking me under your wing. I know it is not always easy to teach someone how to do something that is foreign to them, so thank you for baring with me. I hope someday to be in a position like yours.

To anyone in my life that I left out, thank you for impacting me in some way or another, whether you know you did or not.

In short, I believe that a time of going away to college should not be a time of goodbyes. I mean, I will only be gone for fourteen weeks at a time and, with the development of new technology, I could see all of your faces every day if I wanted to. To FaceTime, thank you. This time should be a time of celebration, though, a new life for everyone, not just me. Instead of goodbye, perhaps we should say something a little more positive. Thank you to everyone on the above list and thank you to God for getting me where I am today.

Love,

Me