i first met nico freshman year at usc. we quickly became friends and later roommates. i was so inspired by nico’s zest for life. his creativity, work-ethic, and determination to pursue his dreams was contagious. one of our favorite shared passions was our love for drake.

i met nico in the first few days of freshman year at usc – he promptly made me a vodka cran (lol), took me aside, and we shot the breeze for over an hour. it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that will stay with me forever.

i met nico during the early days of my freshman year at sc. our mutual love for nothing was the same, drake’s follow-up to his sophomore album, created a natural synergy of minds that have been locked in ever since.

i met nico on bid night in college. i’ll never forget his laser focus on what he wanted to accomplish in his time in college, and how comfortable he was looking you in the eye and telling you. his commitment to himself and those around him is something i will be trying to emulate for the rest of my life.

nico stillman was ann’s nephew. whenever i would come to la, nico always met up with me. not every young man would make the time to see his aunt. one time he was going with his friends to the rose bowl for a usc/ucla game (which i also was attending) and he even met up with a group of us, including one of my coworkers and one of my company’s board members, whom he impressed.

although we did not know each other previously, nico decided to take me under his wing the first day i got to usc. he helped a clueless freshman from st. louis navigate the major changes that come with starting a college career on the west coast. nico always went out of his way to make sure everyone felt welcomed and loved regardless of the situation.

i vividly remember meeting nico during one of our first weeks at usc, laying out his plan for the year which was very representative of his passion, always focused on making sure those around him were having the best time possible. our friendship grew throughout the years, culminating in us being senior year roommates. nico was always someone i could come to with anything from family problems to album reviews, and his positive viewpoint on life has helped the people around him to appreciate every day.

 i had the honor of being nico’s girlfriend. meeting only as young college kids, our partnership and experiences together over six years helped form who we are as young adults. we grew up together – through travel, food, music, corgi-ownership, and more. i’m a better person because of him, and i know many others can say the same.