During my first Disney College Program, my roommates and I became so close over our four and a half months of living together. They were from all over the country—Georgia, New York, Texas, North Carolina and even Puerto Rico. They introduced me to the music they listen to, the food they like (Louisiana Hot Sauce apparently goes with everything) their sports teams and their accents.

Living with a roommate from Puerto Rico seemed like it was going to be struggle, as I could barely understand what he was saying the first week. However, I learned to understand most of what he was saying. He taught me a lot about Spanish culture and how it is possible to live completely off of frozen dinners. I had never heard someone use the phrase "y’all" unless they were saying it ironically; after sharing a bunk bed with a kid from Texas, I caught myself saying it more often than I ever thought I would.

I want to thank my roommates for making me realize the problem with stereotypes. When I first met my roommate from Long Island, I thought we were going to hate each other. As a preppy lacrosse player, he seemed like he would fit in with the crowd of kids who bullied me in high school. Boy, was I wrong. He is one of the most down-to-earth, goofiest kids I have ever met. He knows more Disney fun facts than anyone I have ever encountered, and he tells the best stories. When I met my roommate from North Carolina, he seemed like a typical Bible Belt kid. I soon discovered that he is one of the most open-minded, free-thinking, creative people I know. I only regret not spending more time with him.

Thank you to my roommates for going to Steak-N-Shake with me at midnight. For spontaneous beach trips to go surfing. For driving me to the emergency room at 3 a.m. on the morning of traditions, when you had only known me for six days. Thank you for dance parties at 4 a.m., when we partied so hard (by ourselves) that security was called. Thank you for going on runs with me at two in the morning. Thank you for driving me to urgent care because I face planted on my penny board. Thank you for advising me not to have a girl I met on Tinder over at three in the morning (thank you so much for that especially). Thank you for exploring Florida with me and getting lost in the process. Thank you for staying up until four in the morning with me talking about life, movies, sports, girls and food when I had to be up at 6 a.m. for work. The sleep deprivation was totally worth it.

Thank you for putting up with my crap and for accepting me for who I am. You helped me grow as a person and I would not want to spend my first time living away from home with anyone else. I grew up with two sisters and no brothers. For those four and a half short months, I had five brothers.

Te amor,

James