Page 52 - 2019 Senior Will

Jillian Laakso ~~
Hello!! It’s weird to think that this is me writing my senior will. I still remember like it was yesterday, sitting at band banquet as a freshman and to think that now my time is officially ending is very weird. There’s a lot of people to thank but I’m not very good at talking so I will list a few whose likelihood of reading this is high and just have to remind those who won't, how much I adore them.
Firstly, thank you Jim and Sarv for creating a beautiful organization. I definitely went through so many stages as a member, and one of those was definitely feeling like I didn’t fit in. But it was the music and the respect for this activity that leadership has in this organization that really motivated me to find my place. Thank you for giving me a staff position my Sophomore Year and for always welcoming me back. It has saved me in more ways than you will even believe. Thank you so much.
Current Trumpet Section: Thank you for being you. Thank you for listening to me (sometimes). No, but really. Thank you for being the largest group of weirdos I could ever ask for. Being a part of the section this year really put into perspective why I chose to continue band and the small traditional things we were missing. I love you as a group, I love you all in your individual ways. Even if you think I’m not watching you, I’m telling you that I am and that I am so proud. Please stay a while! This is only the beginning of something truly wonderful.
Past Trumpet Section: Thank you for accepting me when I didn’t accept you. I really do owe you everything. Thank you for being patient, kind, goofy, and determined. Thank you for having high expectations for someone who didn’t know what to expect of themselves. And thank you for never giving up the opportunity to love me even though I ignored your love for so long. Thank you for never leaving me behind. I really do hope that I did the same thing for someone else. Thank you endlessly.
And now some personal shoutouts:
Mike: Thanks for meeting me in band and never saying anything to me until I was nearly a senior? No, but thank you for loving me and this activity enough to do it a fifth time. Thank you for donating the time, listening to me rant, letting me cry and all of the other emotions in between. You are truly one of a kind and you have made this band better by being a part of it. Thank you so much for always being so supportive of me and my endeavors. I hope I do half of what you do for me. I love you a whole bunch.
QD (Mike, Josh, Noel, Cole and Jeremy): Thank you for being so kind to me. Thanks for listening to me talk and eating the rest of my chicken fingers when I can’t. Don’t let Mike fool you, he is obsessed with you guys and you made us both much better players and people simply by knowing you. You’re dynamic is a wonderful thing to see and I hope you hold onto this and who you are as a group for as long as you can. It doesn’t come around often enough, and you will miss it when it’s gone!
Evan: Thank you for being my best friend in band. I simply don’t know what I would do without you. Even though you do ditch me on the bus for Jacob. Thank you for always looking out for me and giving me a ride in band camp. I’m so lucky to have someone so loyal to be friends with. I love our wine nights and you giving me a hard time over carpe diem or whatever. Thank you for never being easy on me and always being willing to dance to Dancing Queen with me. Let’s be friends forever.