07/21/2026
When I listen to the weight of the woods…I don’t think about sadness, I think about the weight of becoming who you’re meant to be.
A forest isn’t beautiful because nothing ever happened to it. It’s beautiful because every tree has stood through storms.
And every scar tells a story. And every root had to push through that’s ground to grow.
I feel like that’s all of you. A year ago you left home and took a chance on yourselves. You left your families and friends, and everything that felt comfortable to chase a dream that had no guarantees.
This year wasn’t always easy. There were moments of homesickness, rejection, self doubt, exhaustion, incredible highs and moments where you questioned if you were enough. But that’s the point.
None of these things were here to break you, they were here to grow you. In one week you will all go in different directions. Some of you may sign with agencies, some may move to LA, and some might go home to figure out your next step. Every path is different and none of them determine your worth. This year was never about getting “signed”. It was about becoming the artist, the teammate, the human being you’re going to carry into every room for the rest of your life.
Tonight is about honoring every thing you have carried to get here. Look around at each other. These are the people who know exactly what this year felt like.
They have became your roots.
They held you up on the days you needed it. And you did the same for them. Long after this year is over, you’ll carry pieces of each other with you wherever you go.
So tonight, dance with freedom and dance with gratitude. Dance knowing that every hard day, every sacrifice, every tear, every laugh, every correction, every breakthrough is part of your story. No matter where life takes you next, I hope you never forget this chapter. A piece of it will always go with you. And a piece of each of you will always stay with and me. I am so incredibly proud of each and every one of you. Like a forest, every one of you has grown roots here. Those roots don’t keep you in one place but they give you something to stand on wherever you go next. contd in comments..