My sister, Alex, deserves my heartfelt thanks for again believing in me and

 getting me to Florida in the first place. If I could have anyone in my cheering section, it

 would be my sister as she truly makes me believe that I am capable of anything that I set

 my mind too and is a source of inspiration to me. I would like to thank the rest of the

 members of my family for having full faith that I would get this done and for their

 support as I enter this new phase of my life.

 I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the following individuals: Steve

 Johnson, who apparently saw my potential when I could not even fathom it; Amy

 Sullivan for her continued friendship and for going through this process together as

 misery truly does love company; Bob Watts, for his far away emails full of advice and for

 providing me an incentive to get this degree as I look forward to our future leadership

 collaborations and our eventual takeover of the world! Janice Barner for going above and

 beyond the call of duty in the office, for keeping things going while I was finishing, for

 tying up her printer, and for the constant support that she provided me; Maureen, Jack,

 and Megan Noll for opening their hearts and home to me and making me feel like I have

 family here in Florida. I appreciate them all so much and the feeling of "family" that

 they have provided me.

 I have many other friends and family members who have seen me through the

good times and the bad and who have added so much to my life. I am thankful for them

and grateful for them being in my life. Though they will not realize it, Rosie, Finnegan,

and Lucky deserve a pat for reminding me each day what unconditional love is and how

fortunate I am to be in their company as they make my life all that much better.