Christina

(1) because I will come back to her, Christina really had a profound influence on me in a mere week at EFY. (Especially For youth, an LDS church camp kind of thing that is freaking AMAZING)

At EFY (Kansas '07), before we ever met the girls in our company, I heard that one was practically engaged, and one was in a fairly serious relationship (our counselor knew both) I kind of figured out who he was talking about, or had a pretty good idea, and Christina was one of them. Amazingly, I almost automatically blocked her out as a possibility of someone I might like in any kind of romantic type sense. But I think it was by sometime on Wednesday that I started spending almost as much time with her as I could. Some people you are just drawn to. like her. the last chapter of the how to make people like you section of How to Win Friends and Influence People is about making people feel important, and that is what Christina did. when I took her tray, she didn't just say thank you, or say thank you with a sincere smile. She said something more like"Oh thank you, Samuel, I really appreciate that, you're the first guy who's done that for me this week." (things like guys taking girl's trays happen a lot at EFY) I don't know if anyone has ever been more lavish in praising me than Christina, and she was so sincere. I loved her for it. I might have doubted her sincerity in some degree, or not thought nearly so much of how she treated me, but she treated everyone that way. Christina has inspired me to be kinder, more patient, more positive, and to try to have the spirit with me such that it's all natural and no one can doubt my sincerity.
Christina, if you ever read this, know that I look up to you. A lot. I learned that all you have to do to make people like you and help them love themselves is what you did: You showed sincere appreciation, gave heartfelt praise, and were always positive about others. and you cared, which is the great recurring theme in everyone who makes a difference in people's lives in such ways.

note: Christina was in the "fairly serious relationship," but I'm not sure how serious it was. I got some clues that she wasn't too serious, but I have little knowledge of it.