Alicia

Alicia the savior: I would not have made it through college without her. (There are several stories there, all of which may eventually compromise Alicia's potential political career so I shall purposefully omit.) In my relative maturity, I've learned a lot about friendship from Alicia. First and foremost, it is something to be treasured. Second, it, like all good things in life require perseverance. We've been friends for almost two decades and have not been without our ups and downs. I remember standing in Father Calero's office (our professor at the time) with Alicia and trying to explain to him how it came to be that we missed his lecture yet again. I don't remember all the nuances of the conversation but I do remember him telling us that all true friendships have disagreements, "A tested faith that survives becomes stronger." That statement didn't register then but it does now. Alicia and I have survived together and she is now one of my very best friends. This Murano glass heart and flame represents the Sacred Heart, which has a lot of personal meaning for us both. It reminds me of faith and survival both essential for friendship.