Wow, just - thank you. It truly is an honor to be here tonight and see so many accomplished people who also made it through 2019. While words can hardly describe how truly thrilled I am to be on this stage, I’m going to make these words try.

First, I’d like to thank Gilmore Girls and warm blankets for always being there for me, whether it’s because I just needed a night at home alone or because getting off the couch to make food or take a shower seemed impossible. Those fast-talking women are the reason I didn’t succumb to those gray, cold, Indiana days and are the distraction I always need and love.

Thanks also to Lady Lunches and Raise a Glass to Account Manager outings - I fully believe that having a strong support team of women around me to talk through life as communications young professional is the very reason I grew so much at work this year. Ali, Cristina, Megan, and Megan - I am so grateful for our bond and (almost) two years together as a team. (And Ashleigh, Shmoop, Hannah, and Elizabeth - thank you for helping me through some of my lowest points, whether you realized it or not).

Coffee. Always thank coffee for being the engine behind this whole operation.

On a more serious note, I also want to thank my best friends who, scattered across the country, came together as my superhero team. Hattie - for taking me out for dinner, drinks, a movie, anything (at one point almost once a week) because you knew how hard it was for me to be alone. Maggie - for always picking up the phone when I called, listening even if what I had to say was incomprehensible. Hannah - for always keeping our Monday outings, chatting through whatever I needed to get off my mind, and getting me outside and active. Jordan - for always praying for me and reminding me that just because everyone struggles differently doesn’t make one person’s struggles any less than another’s.

And of course, to all the people I love who supported me this year- Caroline, Grandma and Granddad, Grandma, Jim and Peggy, all my aunts and uncles, Jackie, Danielle, Treh, Amanda, Gail, Elizabeth, Nikki, Courtney, Erin, and so many more. I have such a full and loving population of friends and family who support and care for me and I never forget how lucky I am for that.

Okay, I hear the music, I know you’re ready. But I can’t get off this stage before I thank the two most important people in this entire endeavor - Mom and Dad. You fed me home-cooked, delicious meals, gave me a place to stay when another night alone at my apartment seemed unbearable, and talked through all my options with me as I agonized over what to do next (a conversation that took place repeated for six months). But most importantly, when I came to you on the Fourth of July and announced that I was moving to Orlando to follow a dream, you supported me and helped me make a plan. You didn’t tell me I was foolish. You didn’t remind me I had a four-year degree that needed using. You told me “if you don’t do this, you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you did.”

And so, I left my clouds of confusion and crisis and leapt into the waters of adventure. After a week of thinking moving to Orlando is exactly what I needed to do next, a place to live fell in my lap. And I made a plan with my parents to make it happen - how to leave my job, pack up my apartment, and start a life in a new state with no job. Mom and Dad have continued supporting me ever since, never once doubting my progress or ambition. Just saying how much I love them doesn’t feel like enough.

Now I’m in that new state and sure, there’s some goals I still need to accomplish in 2020. But I’m here, and I’m happy.

Okay, yes, I’m leaving the stage now. Thanks to everyone for your support in 2019—I couldn’t have made it without you.

January