I was far too relaxed with the concept of sharing a couple of square feet with another person for the better part of a year. I assumed we would get along well enough to hopefully make it through the year, or at least a semester, and was content with just that. Having lived in the dorm for two months now I've seen how devastating a poor living arrangement can be and it makes me all the more thankful for the girl I'm sharing my freshman year with. I pray that everyone meets someone like Abby and that everyone strives to be somebody like Abby.

Abigail Mathew is one of those humans you only get to meet a few times in your life. She's 4'11 and three quarters (5’½ on a good day), goes for a run 'every' Monday and Wednesday, has the heart of a servant and the humor of a Saturday Night Live cast member. Abby can sing like nobody's business and is the newest alto in Swaram. S

he works with Redemptive Work out of Austin, Texas. She helps them in assisting those trying to better their lives as they transition out of incarceration. Her sweet heart meets people where they are and lifts them up to recognize their full potential. She is a woman of the Lord and is open and vulnerable in ways I can only aspire to be. Abby loves well and is in constant pursuit of community with others. She does this all with remarkable humility and grace. This girl is gonna do big things and change lives in big ways. I am insanely lucky that we both ended up in Hull447A.

I met her in person for the first time the day she moved into our room. It was after the first full day of Formal Recruitment. I was a sweaty, giddy, exhausted mess but she welcomed me with a smile and an offer to share her food. Merely a few hours into our friendship, we were sharing life stories and jamming to Ed Sheeran while making our beds (that may or may not have been one of the only times our beds have been properly made sorry mom!). She was the person I could talk to every day that week when I was far too exhausted to think clearly and was one of my first calls when I finally got my bid. In a matter of days, she had made our little shoe-box feel as much like home as it ever will.

Two months in and we’re still going strong. We made house rules and those have been important, but much more important has been truly knowing each other. We can tell when the other is struggling. We know how to cheer the other up, sometimes by building a fort or providing late night ice-cream. We have the most absurd inside jokes, shared broken appliances, “The Office” viewing parties, and the best late night talks. She keeps me up late at night, keeps me sane during midterms, and keeps me laughing when it's all a little much. I am beyond thankful for her friendship: the blessing I never knew I need.