Morgan Sherlock and Allie Stratis, I don’t know what I did to get such wonderful best friends, but I’m so glad that I had you growing up and that I still have you both now. I love you, I’m so proud of the women you’ve become, and I will never, ever forgive you for letting me get bangs. Shannon Janico, you have always been an unbelievable friend and you’ve grown into an amazing woman. I love you, and every kid you teach is one of the luckiest kids in the world. Mandi Nyambi, you’re the most intelligent, passionate, and hardworking woman that I know. Thank you for being a sister to me. I love you, I’m proud of you, and keep taking over the world. Yasmeen Audi, Elise Baranouski, and Juliet Bailin, you have always loved, supported, and pushed me to achieve my dreams. I love you and I’m blessed to have you in my life and am so proud of everything you’ve done, and everything you’re going to do. Also Elise, you can use this text as proof whenever someone doubts how close we actually are.
To my friends at TITLE Boxing and Cody Montarbo, thank you for keeping me sane! Lin-Manuel Miranda, thank you for creating such an inspiring work of art that kept me company during my all-nighters. Brilliant Black People, thank you for inspiring and motivating me. Special shout-out to Michelle and Barack Obama, Chance the Rapper, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Shonda Rhimes, Lupita Nyong’o, Ava DuVernay, Zulaikha Patel, Kheris Rogers, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi.
To my teachers, thank you for helping me discover who I am and what I want to say. Special shout-out to Mr. Friebel, Mrs. Colianni, Mr. McCloud, Mr. Woods, Mr. Wilbur, Joey McMullen, Maria Tartar, Christina Phillips Mattson, Amy Hempel, and John Stauffer.
And last but certainly not least: to my readers. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for taking a journey into Or?sha. I can’t wait to continue the adventure with you.