Bryan is by far the most thoughtful of my friends. His witty one liners, insightful responses and pointed style have always inspired me to be less of a dork. 99% of the time I think he is ridiculous but occasionally, his flair rubs off on me and I find myself in some boutique denim store purchasing a pair of $450 jeans. To this day, his advice to "be like a shark" has kept me moving forward, even in the toughest of times.

I met Clarissa with her dark-eyed makeup and short skirts a few weeks into college. At first I did not ever think she and I could ever possibly become friends, but her quirky sense of humor and infectious laugh made her so likable. While Clarissa would drag me out to social gatherings, I would drag her to attend job fairs and company recruiting events with me. I felt fearless whenever I was with Clarissa - sometimes to the point of having no shame. I remember being the last two to leave a company recruiting event - not because we were talking to the recruiter but because we were piling multiple plates of food leftover from the event to take home. I know there will always be tons of loud laughter whenever I'm out with Clarissa.

Eiki has never let me down with his honest, frank and uncompromising advice. He has been an anchor in my life to remind me of who I am and encourage me to be true to myself. Whether it is rallying a group to dress up as vampires for Halloween to helping me build a see-saw from scratch, Eiki has always been there for me. Forever thankful for the many nights I spent crashing on the couch in Palo Alto as an honaray "Tanaka brother."

Eileen is the life of the party and one of the most selfless people I know. When we first started going out at night in SF, I would often find myself going back to her apt in Emeryville at the end of the night. The next day, I would always wake up to her ear-deafening alarm (which she always slept managed through), and we'd spend the rest of our carefree days hanging out, talking about what happened the night before and eating her delicious home-cooked meals. Eileen has become instrumental to my life. If I have questions on how to organize or plan an event, I go to Eileen for help. If I go out to eat at a restaurant or hang out at a bar, Eileen will always make sure there is food on my plate or a drink in my hand. I always feel taken care of when I'm with Eileen.

I am pretty sure that I have spent more time with Lijen than any other person in my adult life. Before Em became my full-time social planner, Lij held the title for almost 10 years. Whether he is setting up a New Years confessional to throwing a going away party, Lij has an uncanny ability to make any event more memorable and fun. In addition to keeping me thin from the countless hours we have laughed together, Lij continues to remind me to live life to its fullest.

Andrea and I met in high school, and easily became friends despite having separate groups of friends. After high school, we attended a summer-long program in Taiwan for college-aged kids. We were roommates and had no idea what we were in for. It was our first time sneaking out at night, going to clubs, and trying wine coolers. We thought that every guy who talked to us had evil intentions, and were so wary to give any of them the time of day. Five years later, we once again became roommates in SF. I'd like to think our social game had improved, but we were probably still clueless in many ways. There was so much uncertainty in our lives as we tried to navigate through adulthood - from dating, career, meeting new people - Andrea was there with me through every experience, and I've always valued and trusted her opinion.

I have always looked up to Steven ever since we were little kids. Not only because he is 6 inches taller than me, but because he has served as my basis for what leadership means. As I have mentioned to his wife, Steven was, and occasionally continues to be, a "loose cannon." His hunger for adventure has led me down the California coast, into the depths of numerous izakayas, and onto the black sands and glaciers of Iceland. I'd follow this guy pretty much anywhere.

Eileen is my younger sister. I have very fond memories of our childhood. We would spend our summer days digging for gold in our backyard, making mud cakes, taking apart the sofa seats to make forts, and causing all sorts of random mischief for our parents. We also fought a lot, and probably didn't physically stop fighting with each another until I came home one day from college, and realized the hard way that Eileen was stronger than me and could easily beat me in a fight. Even though I'm the older sister, Eileen has always been there to support me. She carried my snowboard for me when we got stuck up on a mountain and had to walk down to the resort since I didn't want to try to snowboard anymore. She carried all my gear throughout our Yosemite Half Dome hike and listened to me whine and whimper about potentially getting attacked by strangers when we got left behind after sunset on the return hike. It's safe to say that most people will probably agree that Eileen is the cooler sister.

Jane is one of the coolest, most-fashionable chicks I know. Since I met her in college, she's evolved from a wild homegirl into a classy, beautiful woman. She is also the girl you never want to mess with as she won't put up with any nonsense. And no matter how silly my problems may sound, I've always felt like I could talk to Jane about anything. Even though our personalities are so different, she is deeply emphatic and always seems to understand why I react and feel a certain way. I've always admired Jane for keeping it real, and never trying to mold herself into something she wasn't. She is fiercely loyal with a strong protective instinct, and won't stand for anyone talking down on her friends.

Jen has been one of my best friends since high school. Despite being the last two in our group of friends to learn to drive, we always managed to find ways to go out and make new groups of friends outside of school. Jen has always been down to experience what life has to offer. Without her, I would have never traveled to Brazil during the World Cup to watch soccer games or attended one of the Warriors basketball championship games. Jen is also the most well-traveled person I know, and I've been so lucky to have traveled with her often. One of my favorite trips with Jen was when the two of us went on an Asia trip after college. I couldn't have imagined anything better than roaming the streets of Tokyo with your best friend.

Jenny was the first friend I made in college. My first impression was that she talked very urban and that she was also very friendly and easy to talk to. Over the years, I've never seen Jenny back down from any obstacles or roadblocks. She fights for what she believes in, and I admire her relentless drive to achieve her goals. Despite her tough attitude, Jenny is also one of the most loving, generous people I know. In college, her schedule was constantly packed with school, work, and extracurricular activities. Yet she would always find time to make gifts for her close friends. Her fierce yet compassionate spirit is what makes her unique, and I know that I will always have Jenny's support no matter what happens in life.

I first met Regina in 8th grade science class when our teacher made Regina sit next to me for talking too much. I remember her screen name was 'pupplylove86' since she was always giggling about puppies, which was super endearing since she had, and still has, an energetic, child-like personality. In high school, we signed up to be swim instructors at a local swim school. Since then, we have gotten scuba diving certified together, and were swim buddies on our dive trips in Monterey and Brazil. Despite sometimes acting and sounding like she's 5 years old, Regina is one of the brightest and most capable people I know. No matter how tough things get, she is a constant bubble of sunshine.