Jennie

She's my best friend, she's my role model, the one I've always looked up to; My sister. Sure, it used to be her favorite game to pull the bottle out of my mouth when I was less than a year old just to hear me scream, pop the bottle back in, and then pull it out again to hear me scream some more. But she had to put up with some much from me too, like me totally dismissing a shirt she had made with her own little hands for my favorite Snoopy doll when

I was in first grade. She's taught me that the man in the moon is saying "OH!", how to ride a bike, and never ever ever let me feel like I was alone. But enough of the old memories...She's always always been there for me and encouraged me to be who I had to be. When I let my hair grow out for a long time she always said it looked great. When I went through break-ups she always knew exactly what to say. When I was out of Cornell from the spring of '98 to the fall of '99 I lived with her and Malaika and it was the best decision I ever made. She let me mope around for two months after quitting my job as the Assistant GM of a hotel, she gave me money to tide me over because I didn't feel up to getting a job, she kept telling me that I would find my way and everything would be fine. When I took a job as a manager at a Blockbuster video in Worcester she thought it was a great idea. She never lectured me or made me feel like I was doing anything wrong. She was nothing but kind and supportive and loving. I could never ask for a better sister.

But what she's done for me is only the tip of the iceberg. She's in med school right now, figuring out how she can get the education she needs so she can go back to East Africa and save as many lives as possible. She's fought for street kids, bringing attention to their plight in Africa and doing her best to give them hope and a reason to think life can be better. Not to mention her similar interests in Nicaragua, the countless committees and organizations she is the soul engine for at UMASS, and all the other things she does on a daily basis that make her the most intelligent, caring, driven, dedicated and unbelievable person I know. She's fiercly loyal and will backs her friends up at any time. And trust me, you want her on your side, if you piss her off you better run and hide!

Here's to you Jennie, I put the H in Thom for you!