As soon as Janet told me she was from Pleasanton, I knew we would have a special bond. As two of the few girls from the Bay Area on our UCLA dorm floor, we instantly bonded over our shared love for San Francisco, dim sum, and musicals. Our friendship grew stronger with each year in college as we spent another year as floormates, shared an apartment for a summer, and came to realize our vocational calling: helping underserved communities. Janet focused on education, and I watched in awe and amazement as she woke up every Saturday morning at 5am so she could go with UCLA’s Project WILD to help children improve their literacy. Janet also strove to spread political awareness among her peers, especially about issues that dealt with the poor and the marginalized, and I constantly looked to her for guidance and wisdom in my ballot choices.

When I think about Janet, I try not to think of her nausea, her pain, or her suffering, for I have never known Janet to complain and cannot conceive of her without a busy schedule of helping and supporting others. I think of Janet poring over books, constructing lesson plans, drinking endless cups of coffee, pecking away at her computer, taking catnaps, working into the wee hours of the night, and finally waking up to do it all again the next day. I think of Janet dutifully reminding us to attend culture nights, performances, and club meetings to loyally support our friends. I also think of Janet with a tender smile and a laugh, for she has a wonderful sense of humor that brought me endless joy. I laugh to think of Janet almost fainting in hunger but then only eating one plate of food at buffets. I laugh to think of Janet earnestly gathering all of us together to indulge in Vietnamese pho, Korean barbecue, or Cantonese dim sum. I laugh to think of Janet telling me recently, “I look normal, just without hair though. But I have a wig that makes me look like a Korean pop star.”

Janet is one of my best friends because of everything we’ve shared together in the last four years. From boyfriends, to parents, to school, work, religion, politics, roommates, and back, we’ve run the gamut of what friends share with each other. I know Janet to be an innocent, passionate, and truly wonderful young woman who desperately needs our help. I will not let my friend go without a fierce fight. She has a mission on this planet to educate bright young minds and prepare for the future. A beautiful, selfless goal like hers must be fulfilled.