Every Christmas, our friend group does Secret Santa, our little way of celebrating the holiday season even when all of us can't meet up at one time over the break. And every summer, we all meet up with each other and spend the entire day together, taking a slew of pictures and laughing nonstop.

I've come to realize in the past school year that competitive energy can bring out the worst in people, especially the ones you expected it from the least. But I have not seen my friends waver once against the hard, cold face of competition. They've stayed completely true to themselves and the bonds they have with their close friends.

One of my friends is one of the only people I spend more time with during the day than I do by myself. She and I are currently part of a philanthropic program dedicated to raising money for blood cancer research, and we think of each other as sisters.

She and I have shared tears, memories and laughs so close to me that I will never forget the impact she has left on my life. She has changed me as a person, and I think that's what it means to love. As one of my best friends, she teaches me every single day of my life what it means to be a strong, fearless woman.

I see a lot of my friends only once in a while, but it makes me think about the fact that no matter how little we get to see each other, we still have that same appreciation and respect for one another that started the friendship in the first place.

No matter how close I consider myself to each person I call a friend, they all think about me even when they don't need to. They give me little tokens and pep talks when I'm feeling down and make sure to focus on making me cheerful when I'm not myself. They carry themselves with so much emotional elegance, and I have never been more thankful to be a part of their lives.

Every single day that I see them, they teach me how to be a better person.

What makes me proudest of my friends is that they are not afraid to put me in my place. Everything they say to me is out of concern for my well-being, but they always make sure to tell me when I'm wrong. It's something I disliked at first (considering sugarcoating was just a way of hiding the truth when I didn't want to hear it) but came to enormously respect.

They teach me the meaning of love everyday by molding me into a combination of tough love and empathy.

The friend who fights by my side everyday against blood cancers gives me a hug at the first sign that I'm not happy, but she doesn't hesitate to stop me when I start blaming other details for my mistakes. The friends who love giving gifts every holiday season to show their love when we can't see each other are the same people who explain to me the rational reasoning of a situation when my emotions take over. The friends who I see only a few times a month also teach me that there is value to having distant friends who aren't always there.

It's so strange how much I've changed because of the people I've surrounded myself with because I always say I'll stay true to myself. But I'm a mix of their individual personalities, and I've never been happier.