I grew up looking up to my sister Rachel. As she is four year older than me, she was the blueprint for how to live a good life. When Rachel got into the outdoors, so did I. When she started listening to Lincoln Park, so did I. When she went to Calvin, I felt less bad about going from GRCHS to our feeder college. She got married a while ago, and I was her maid of honor, so just like a lot of things in life, I decided to follow her lead.

Gail and I met on a summer study abroad trip to Italy when we were juniors in high school. So when she reached out asking if we wanted to room together, I thought that was a better option than rooming with a complete stranger. We had two cozy (and messy) years in the dorm together. Gail even had a dog (sadly Charlie will not be in the wedding)! Even though Gail moved back home after her sophomore year, when we see each other, it is like no time has passed.

I met Hailey when she came into the Rhetoric Center and I explained some grammar thing to her. This is particularly funny because Hailey is way better at grammar then me AND we were in the same syntax class. When she started working at the Rhetoric Center, we bonded during our night shift together. Because there weren't many students coming in at 8:00PM, we talked about the racism imbued in the notion of "Standard English," talked about crushes, and took quizzes to discover if we were descended from the Atlanteans. Even though she just graduated college, and I've been gone for a while, our bond forged in the dark hours of the library has stood the test of time.

I met Anna through Duncan. Technically we had a class together, but I don't count that because I don't remember that class at all. Anna and I became fast friends after Duncan arranged a time to hang out with a group of engineers during the summer before our junior year. The four of us, Anna and our boyfriends became a little group. Duncan got me into anime, and I in turn made Anna a nerd. The four of us would watch My Hero Academia every Saturday night in my small studio apartment. We even went on a semi-stressful road trip from Grand Rapids to Atlanta. Luckily our friendship was able to withstand this.

Tiffany and I were always lumped together as the Little Ones. Almost every big step I have taken in my life was right beside her, from our first days at new schools, to sharing a major at the same college, to working as researchers in the same lab. We often shared teachers, professors, friends, and hobbies. Together, we make a literal world-class team (VEX robotics 2017). She has always been my biggest support and my best friend.

Growing up, if anything proved to be too much of a challenge for me, from video game levels to math problems, Bethany was the first person I turned to. Despite being the coolest older sister ever with fun math tricks, puzzles, trampoline tricks, and robots, she always tried to make time for me and help. She inspires me and her continuous support has enabled me to do so much.

Daniel was one of my first friends at Calvin. He was one of the first dorm rooms I visited, even if it was just him quickly destroying me at the game Smash Bros. From our intro engineering class to our senior design project, we stuck together through it all. Daniel has introduced me to many of my favorite books, video games, shows, food, and songs. He and his wife, Anna, have been such a big part of Kate and I’s relationship. I know I can always count on him as a lifelong friend.

I first met Isaac through Calvin’s summer program in Germany, where we were first roommates. Despite all the misadventures, we became good friends and continued as roommates when we moved off campus. Through dozens of shared classes, projects, homework assignments, house meals, and even a few quarantines, we probably saw more of each other than may have been healthy. Together we have shared so many inside jokes, silly debates, and deep conversations. Through it all, Isaac is one of my favorite people.