09/24/2026
Today, we honor our beautiful senior, EmmaLou Pearl Rogers!❤️
You came into my life like a hurricane.. the kind you don’t realize you’ve been waiting your whole life for. God knew I needed you just as much as you needed me.
I remember the girl I first met, and in such a short time.. she seems like a distant memory! She is watching you come back to life louder, brighter, happier, sillier, and more talented than ever. Having you around to mentor and love has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. You have grown by leaps and bounds, both as a dancer and as a young woman. I love watching you step into every bit of your power because you are so deserving. Every single time you leave the studio and run back in to hug me with a smile on your face, laughing and being your normal silly self, it means more to me than you will ever know.
You are my anime loving, alternative, wonderfully quirky girl.. and honestly, the better version of me at your age. I see so much of myself in you, but I also see everything you are becoming in your own right. Watching you and Coach Tarynn bring my dream solo to life feels incredibly special because there is no one else I could imagine trusting with something so close to my heart. Such a similar journey we shared, and you get to dance my story that is also your story. You understand it because, in so many ways, you understand me. You are wise and kind beyond your years.
I hope you always know how incredibly special you are, exactly as you are. Please know that all your quirks and all the little things that make you uniquely YOU are irreplaceable. I will make it my mission to make sure you NEVER make yourself smaller or quieter for anyone. The world needs your light exactly as God created it and you deserve to take up all the space.
Being your teacher and helping guide you through this season of your life is a responsibility and an honor that I never take lightly. Loving you, believing in you, pouring into you, and helping you recognize and reach your full potential means the world to me. I am endlessly proud of the young woman you are and forever grateful that God brought you into my life even if it was under such crazy circumstances. I am grateful for it all.
My prayer is that no matter where life takes you after this year, you will always be part of my life. Elevate will always be your home, and I will always be in your corner.
This is your year, EmmaLou Pearl. I love you beyond words. I cannot wait to weep and cherish every moment as you really step into your destiny🎓✨
