To my high school,

Thank you for these past four years.

Thank you for room 107. The choir room, the place where I felt weightless and purposeful simultaneously. Thank you for teaching me perseverance. I learned more about music than I ever thought was possible, and I learned to love it with every fiber of my being. Thank you for saving me. Sometimes it felt as if I was holding my breath and I couldn’t release it until I walked through the thresholds of that room.

Thank you for the beautiful people I’ve bumped into in your tiny halls. The people who have laughed and cried with me. You gifted me a blessing with each and every one of them. Where would I be without them? I am thankful for every not-so-discrete conversation in the middle of class, spending grueling hours of rehearsal with them, basking in the sun in the middle of the courtyard, spontaneous photo shoots, trips to Waffle House and every other moment. You are the company that you keep, and my friends are truly the best people I know.

Thank you for your teachers. Even the teachers whose class I dreaded going to every day … yes, I am talking about Chemistry. I began freshman year not really caring about my grades, and I skittered by as a B-average student. But my teachers challenged me and were constantly voicing their belief in me and by senior year, I became an A plus student. All those long tedious projects and AP Lit essays and nights spent doing music theory on Teoria have taught me that success comes from my own motivation and drive. I promise I will continue to believe in myself and my abilities.

Thank you for being my home away from home. To be honest, I’m positive I spent more time at school than at my own home. There was a period of time where the last place I wanted to be was in my own home, so I took solace within you. I have cried in bathrooms, hid in practice rooms and felt a stillness in the chaos of the costume design room. What I will remember most vividly are the happy times at this school. The annual Black History Show, my first musical, Chorale concerts, March Madness games and seeing the boys dressed up as cheerleaders for Powderpuff are some of my favorites. Some of my best memories have been spent with you, and I can’t think of a place I would rather be.

People often find it strange that I wasn't jumping for joy to be leaving high school. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for this new chapter of my life, but the previous chapter was pretty amazing. I am blessed for such a wonderful school that has shaped me into the passionate and motivated person I am today. I love you, DFA.

Yours truly,

Reese