Class of 2026: So Grateful My Parents Made Their Ceiling My Floor

A first-person essay from Anna Elizabeth Jones, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She will be doing small animal general practice when she graduates.

May 7, 2026 NC State University 2-min. read

A graphic with three pictures: One of Anna Jones wearing a white coat as she stands between her father in a white coat and her mother in a white coat. One picture is of Anna's parents putting her white coat on her at the White Coat Ceremony. The last is a picture of Anna Jones in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC

As my classmates and I neared graduation, I contemplated a way that I could best express gratitude to the people who have wholeheartedly dedicated a great deal to my getting to this point. My parents, Charles and Dawn Jones, are veterinarians in Charlotte, and since the beginning, their only desire for me in vet school and in life has been for their ceiling to be my floor and for me to flourish.

Foremost, I want to thank them.

Dearest Mom and Dad,

This is your forever poignant daughter, and I wanted to write a note of gratitude as we have made it to this point in our journey.

How does one express sincere gratitude to their parents for all the parts they have played? Do you start by thanking them for all of the monetary assistance, lack of censure, and unadulterated support?

While these feelings may seem inadequate, the truth is that they explicitly encompass how I feel when I contemplate not only the last four years but my entire life.

This journey has, at times, felt tumultuous and unbearable, but I have never once doubted your love and care and have always felt your ultimate desire for me to become all that I am meant to be.

Thus, I simply want to say, “Thank you.”

A woman in a navy and white polka dot blouse and navy pants holds a black puppy while a man in glasses and white dress shirt puts his arm around her as they sit on a couch.

Thank you for allowing me to call you with both the good news and the bad.

Thank you for always being in my corner. Thank you for allowing me to raid the pantry and take all of the Costco supplies back to my apartment in Raleigh.

Thank you for the way you fostered my siblings and me. Thank you for training me to value character, kindness and integrity.

Thank you for accepting me for the woman I have grown to be. Thank you for witnessing my journey devoid of judgment and allowing me to navigate this season of my life the best way I know how.

Most saliently, thank you for granting me your unequivocal support and for doing what was deemed necessary to allow me to grow, learn and become a genuine version of myself.

I love you endlessly, even when it is hard to express, and I earnestly thank you.

Sincerely, your quintessential middle child,

Anna Jones