I am a normal teenager.

I’m 18. I have a job. I go to school. I have friends. I have great times. I also have bad ones. I’ll fight with my parents about the most dumb stuff and we laugh about it later.

We think we know and we don’t. Our parents love us anyway because they want us to make our own choices but they don’t want us to go. I’m 18, Patricia is 21 and Blake is 16. My parents worry because no matter how old we are, we’re still their babies.

My parents always told me that I can’t quit or give up. I think to myself, if I ignored that advice, where would I be?

I know that I’m not on the streets begging for food or money. I know that I have a bed to sleep in every night. I know that I’m not wondering if I’m loved. Because I know that I am. I know that if I didn’t take the advice, I could be a teenager begging for food or money. Not sleeping in a bed, but on a sidewalk.

There are too many people to thank getting me up to this point right here today, especially my family.

To my father, you are my role model. When people ask you questions after soccer games or any athletic event you proudly say “That’s my girl.” You’ve taught me, you’ve trained me and you’ve molded me into who I am this very second. I am a spitting image of you and I thank you for that, only sometimes. You taught me to be tough, and made sure I’m able to stand on my own without leaning on you. You taught me to be different because being original is good, and being like everyone else is boring. You trained me for years in soccer. You supported me through everything I did. Through it all, I have always been the one people ask questions about. In soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball and now photography. You and Mama both molded me into a responsible, respectable leader who is going to conquer the world. Not really…but I want to think that.

To my mother, you are my safe haven. You taught me to feel. You always help me get back on my feet when I get knocked down. You let me make my own choices but direct me to what you think is best. You’ve also supported me through everything I’ve done and everything I’ve been through, and I don’t expect you to stop. I know when I leave you won’t seem OK, but I know you will be. Good luck. You taught me to hold my head high when I’m down so others don’t see. You always told me to be the bigger person no matter how hard it is. You always know what to say no matter the situation.

To the people who have been there through my struggles leading to success, I thank and appreciate all of you as well. If I had all day to list out who you are I would in a heartbeat. You all are a part of my family no doubt. Whether you’re my best friend or their parents, all of you are always looked at as family.

Now our graduation date is set. June 5, 2016. That’s next week. Soon we’ll be high school graduates, and after that we start all over and become freshmen again.

One of my favorite quotes is “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” That quote is from former University of Tennessee college football star Inquoris, Inky, Johnson. I like it so much because it reminds me of what my parents always told me. “Keep your head high, and don’t stop.”