Throughout the last four years, the Dart has become St. Teresa’s for me. They are forever the same and constantly interchangeable and it’s because this paper has become the most defining aspect of this school. Mac computers and Googledocs have become the most important technologies out of dozens of fancy new toys. D203 has become the most important place out of three brick buildings and a (formerly) beautiful Quad. The 32 girls (and 1 boy) that make up this paper have become my family out of over 500 students and teachers I love.

Morgan and Madalyne: It’s just us three, living in the same suite at Mizzou, wowing everyone with our superior skills in j-school, rushing the same sorority, holding hands and being best friends forever. Oh wait, that’s sophomore year after Morgan transfers. Which, believe it or not, is going to happen because I love you both more than you will ever know and because I physically can’t imagine a newspaper without both of you on it. Newspaper = us three together, always and forever. It’s been us three since sophomore year and together, we’ve made this paper what it is. We’ve grown from little sophomores responsible for beat briefs and terribly scared of Caroline Quinn to seniors who know who they are and what they want, for both ourselves and the Dart. I’m so insanely proud of both of you and everything we’ve accomplished. You’ve become two of my best friends throughout the last three years and all I can say is thank you for everything.

Morgs, you’ve been the best partner in crime this year that I could have ever asked for. No one but us understands the ridiculous, literally thousands of hours we’ve put in, the ridiculous amount of work we’ve done and the ridiculous amount of stress we’ve felt. But, at the same time, no one but us understands how every second of editing, every tough decision, every single moment was completely worth it. It’s us, at midnight on Tuesdays, so tired we’re laughing about nothing that makes it worth it. It’s shrieking and crying at NSPA because we’re so surprised we won best of show. It’s the morbid stories about walking alone in dark that we laugh at. It’s telling Sister Joan five more minutes every five minutes when we know we’re going to be at school for at least another hour. It’s making plans to go to Anaheim instead of prom. It’s ironically having a 33.33% percent in newspaper class. It’s every day. It’s every moment.

Mr. Thomas: We call you Dad, and honestly, there have been some days that I’ve actually spent more time with you than my real father. You know me better than any teacher at this school and I respect you as an educator, an advisor, a parent and a person more than anyone. Thank you for giving me the courage to speak my mind and the belief that what I have to say actually means something.

You’ve been there from the start of it all. You’ve been there since I was an eighth-grader at freshmen registration — an over-eager over-achiever determined to write for the paper. You’ve been there since that night when I marched my frizzy-haired, awkward, 13-year-old self over to where you were standing, handed you a purple binder with ‘Megan Schaff’s Portfolio’ written on it, looked you straight in the eye and told you that I wanted to write for the Dart.

You’ve been there for four years, thousands and thousands of hours, countless stories, bagel sandwich parties, a few missed deadlines, laughs, cries, trials and tribulations and some very tough decisions. Through it all, you’ve helped me stay that determined girl. I know who I am and what I want to do, and, Dad, I can definitely attribute some of that to you.

This paper has progressed from a general interest to a passion to something I’ve put my whole heart and soul into. Journalism has become my future and you all have become my family. So, thank you Mr. Thomas, Morgan, Madalyne, Katie, Chelsea, Christina, Kate, Celia, Cassie, Laura, Hannah, Rowan, Kathleen and Sara. Thank you Cele, Kirsty, Sarah, Taylor and Kara. Thank you Betsy, Cara, Allison, Katie and Nikki. Thank you Emily, Lane, Emily, Lucia, Mary, Emma, Rachel and Abby. Thank you for being my dad, my sisters and my best friends for the past year. And thank you for becoming my future. I love you all.