Growing up, I was always one of the guys. I grew up on a farm, with one brother and no sisters. Most of my time spent as a child was working on the farm or wrestling with my younger brother. "Girly" was never a term used to describe me. Even throughout middle school and high school, I was a tomboy; I was never the homecoming queen or considered one of the pretty girls. Instead, I was playing football or playing video games as one of the boys. In no way am I complaining, that is who I am and who I wanted to be then. That being said, I am thankful for the girl friends and people who have helped me through the girl issues in life too. As a senior, I was blessed with one of the two people/foreign exchange students that I am lucky enough to call my sisters. �

Marce came into my life at the beginning of my senior year. She was one of two foreign exchange students who wanted to join our varsity soccer team for their year in America.

At first, she was definitely scared of me, which she later admitted. During that soccer season, we were not very close, but once the season ended, our friendship blossomed. We began to spend more time together and we would drive around for hours.

Things got rough for her at her host house in December and by January, I had a new roommate. From that point on, we were inseparable. Sure, we had our moments of disagreement and we definitely knew how to push each other's buttons, but I cannot thank her enough for the lessons she taught me.

If it was not for her, I would not have been able to live with three girls in college. I created a bond with her that I never thought would be broken. We've gone our separate ways, but I will never forget the lessons that I learned or the friendship/sisterhood we created.

Next, there is Maria- my little sissy. Maria gave me experiences that I had not been ready for, and it was not even her fault.

Maria came to live with my family as my brother entered his senior year and I began my second year at Hilbert. Being away at college meant that I would be gone that majority of the time Maria was here and I agreed to let her have my room. At the time of my agreement, I did not think giving her my room was a huge deal.

But the first time I came home and could not sleep in my own bed and my childhood sanctuary was no longer mine, a not so great feeling filled me. Her pictures covered my mirror and her clothes filled my closet.

I had to learn to share all over again.

After the initial shock and resentment, my sisterhood with Maria only grew. From the beginning, she had made it clear that she wanted the two of us to be close and was looking forward to building a friendship with me. She took every opportunity to use me as a sounding board; whether it be for advice on boys, friendship, or cultural differences, she always came to me for help. I looked forward to her phone calls or texts, even if it was just for a quick chat or to complain about the girls at school.

I will always be grateful for the trust she has in me and the sisterhood we still maintain today.

Marce and Maria are both people who impacted my life in positive ways and I cannot thank them enough for their presence in my lives.

I am so thankful to call them my sisters, and for the life lessons you have taught me, I would not be who I am without them.

To Maria, thank you so much for the trust and love we continue to have in each other, I can't wait to see you.

To Marce, I am sorry for the lack of communication and friendship. I learned so much from you and I wish you nothing but the best. We both slacked in the friendship department, but do not think that I'm not checking up on you and making sure you're doing well. Thank you for all that you have taught me.