Vacationing at Isle of Palms every summer with my parents, I felt emotionally attached to Charleston. From countless spring break trips to IOP in high school with a group of my best girls too late nights spent walking on the beach and catching crabs, my heart was always strung to this beautiful city.

This city had such a charm, one that my heart ached for every time I departed.

Little did I know, that one day I would embark on a 4-year journey here, and would be forever changed by the trials that I faced and the people who, by the grace of God, crossed my path.

I can still remember the drive to Charleston, just two days before I started recruitment at The College Of Charleston. It was a bittersweet feeling leaving, and while I might have been terribly homesick for the first month, I began to find my niche in Charleston and started to bloom into the person that I was always meant to be.

So, this one is for you, Charleston.

I did not think of myself as an extrovert during high school, but can proudly say that now, I am comfortable enough in my own skin to be able to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. I have my sense of self, and I owe a lot of this progress to you.

While I had a strong set of friends in high school, I have realized that there is a striking difference between friendship and community. Going through recruitment and after long nights of praying for a Godly community, I have found that. My girls are the first people I go to when I'm feeling down or want to feel celebrated. I have found friends that aren't afraid to stop the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and simply sit down and pray over me. This, I owe to you, Charleston.

I have had so many professional opportunities, all of which would have never surfaced without the professional climate of Charleston. 2 internships, and 1 job have all been granted to me, and without those things, whether successful or not, have proved themselves purposeful in my journey. I now have a much more clear vision of what I would love for my life to look like after graduation, and will be forever thankful to Charleston for planting those visions in my veins.

My love for life has also grown immensely because of the charming nature of Charleston and all of its beauty. Whether that be on my walk to class underneath the Spanish moss, or on a long walk to the battery with my best friend, I have learned to appreciate the raw and genuine aspects of life that make every day worth facing.

Charleston has given me more opportunities than I could have ever imagined, and my heart already aches thinking of the time when I will possibly have to depart the greatest city that I have ever known. Charleston, you forever have my heart, and I will forever be indebted to you.

Heres to the best senior year... I love ya.