Elly Gay is one of the sweetest human beings I have ever met. Although she's only been around for a little under a year, she has inspired me more than anyone else. So here's to you Elly and all the wonderful things you've taught me.

My freshman year at Furman wasn't all it cracked up to be, but Adam and Elly were lights at the end of the tunnel for me. I would struggle with boys or friends and be able to go up to them and get their advice. Sometimes the advice wasn't what I wanted to hear, but it was what I needed to hear. Elly specifically helped me realize that I deserved to be treated better and I too needed to treat others better.

At the beginning of the second semester, things got a little crazy, but when it all was figured out, Elly taught me the most valuable lesson: If a person loves you, they will fight for you; if they walk away from you, they never loved you. That was some advice I needed to hear at that time but never understood fully until I came back home. You inspired me to love myself first because if I don't love myself first, I won't ever know what true love can be.

You also made me laugh when I needed it as well. Remember that rough night when we ended up just watching movies (I fell asleep since I was so tired) and then y'all woke me up when it was time to go. Although I was mostly asleep for that adventure, you made me laugh when I was awake and made me feel loved and appreciated.

Additionally, you supported Adam through everything. Finding out he was going AG and living in North Carolina, you were ready to be there with open arms and proud of him. That made me so happy to see how supportive you were of everything in his life. The same went for him too; he became a loving, supportive person around you. When we had to stop for an hour before going to Charleston just to have your phone call, he was totally okay with that and made the best of it by playing frisbee with Tim and me. You made him a better person, even after stupid mistakes, you both loved each other. Seeing a love like that actually exist in a society we live in today, made me hopeful that I can find that someday too.

Elly, I am so proud of you for getting your dream job in Greenville and I cannot wait for more adventures with you. Thank you for inspiring me to take charge of my life and love myself, because sometimes life sucks, but with a lot of love and support, it'll get better. Also, you have killer fashion and I wish I could pull off half the things you wear because I am so jealous. I love you Elly Gay and I cannot wait to experience more life with you.