The Janet Aiko Sekiguchi Foundation

Honoring Janet's legacy by investing in communities and causes consistent with her passions and her struggles.

Memories

We celebrate Janet's life through pictures and stories. We also commemorate Janet's memory and lasting legacy by sharing reflections on the impact she had during her life and the impact she continues to have, in this video.

 

 

Pictures


With the whole freshman small group

Stanford Screw Your Sib

Stanford IV 1998

Sharing Christmas gifts

Ann, Tom, Ruth and Janet eating

Janet and friends at Billy Graham

Janet eating black candy

Sophomores at Back to the Farm

Eileen, Karen and Janet

With the drawgroup at Eileen's wedding

Begging to be arrested while on China missions

Ruth, Janet and Bernice dressed up for Halloween

Just hanging out

Hsieh BBQ

IV seniors at Winter Conference

IV seniors at All Campus Retreat

IV seniors at Ministry Dessert

Janet and Anthony at Easter Sunrise Service

Janet and Bernice

Janet with her guitar

Janet and Dave eating shaved ice

On the playground at Frosh Project

A portrait of Janet

With the groomsmen at Henry's wedding

Rengstorff Household

 

Stories

Eileen Peters Long Jen Yuan Jimmy Lu Valerie Hsieh
Desiree Ong Leo JengMark LoNikki Toyama
Becca Chang Aurore WuHiro TsudaKim Hsu
Margaret Hsieh Jen ChouAlice ChangGrace Hsiao
Dave Hong Carey BensonJelin YenJenny Yoo
Gus Hernandez Bernice Yau ValRico


Eileen Peters Long

Entry #1 : May 13, 2002 7:12 PM

Janet was a very thoughtful person who was an excellent gift-giver, and always thought of something special and unique. She often was coordinating gifts for drawmate birthdays. She was always so thoughtful and creative at gift-giving, and usually the one to remind us that it was time to celebrate a birthday, and in time for shipping to the other coast when necessary as well.

When I was a senior and had to pull an all-nighter, she brought me cookies to my engineering lab at midnight. It was so sweet, and really perked me up.

I took a voice class Senior year, and those of you who know me know that I don't sing well, and Janet helped me practice for my final - to sing Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven all by myself. She played the guitar and coached me, for well over an hour. It was fun, and she put up with my terrible singing voice too.

When I was a Junior, I had to have a good presentation of my final project for an analog lab class, so she helped me package up the 3-way Vo-Coder (voice encoder) into some black construction paper with gold stars all over it, with invisible seams of black electrician's tape. She totally saved me. I was so tired after getting it working that I had no creativity left in me, and she was always so creative, when we were done, it looked great!

I remember hanging out, going to lunch and dinner in the dorms over the three years we were drawmates and/or roommates. I remember going to the movies to see the English Patient with Janet. And listening to music together, in our room or in the car, Janet liked a lot of the music that I did.

She was fun, cool, thoughtful, a good friend, easy to talk to, and would listen to you. When one of us in our drawgroup would have problems, we'd all sit down and talk about it. We were always proof-reading each other's papers or application essays. In one case, Janet & I were proof-reading Karen's paper,and Janet and I teased her to no end about her "what i find particularly alluring about neuroscience" sentence. We told her, you can't use "alluring" in this program application.

Janet made us personalized mugs for me, Karen & Val at Christmas (2001), with a symbol for our draw group, 4 Fab Fems, and our names on them, and some personalization, like for me it said swEEt and there was a computer.

Celebrating each birthday and Christmas with our drawgroup, (Janet, Karen, Val & me)

And most of all, I remember how much she loved her friends, how very good of a friend she was to me, and how much we all loved her. I really, really miss her.

Jen Yuan

Entry #2 : May 13, 2002 7:13 PM

I always appreciated Janet's dry and somewhat random sense of humor. For me this was best exemplified by the way she'd announce "Tangent!" whenever a conversation veered off the original topic. If I could draw diagrams I would. For minor tangents she'd make one hand into an ‘O’ and hold it against the palm of her other hand, resembling the diagrams of tangents from geometry. Sometimes the gesture alone could be used to quietly point out a tangent behind someone's back. :) For more major shifts from the conversation, she'd raise her whole arm up against her head. And for the most drastic tangents, she'd even press her head up against the nearest wall. I'm not sure if Janet was the one to invent all this, or if she was merely the one to ensure that the whole "tangent" thing was carried on, but it stuck! To this day I still think of her and chuckle whenever a conversation manages to go WAY off the topic.

Jimmy Lu

Entry #3 : May 13, 2002 7:32 PM

I remember Janet as a faithful friend. Whenever it was someone's birthday, or something was happening with the small group, or someone was singing in a concert, Janet was always THERE. She made the effort to be there for people, and her presence was always a blessing.

Valerie Hsieh

Entry #4 : May 13, 2002 7:33 PM

“Don’t you have your own Bible?” This is apparently the very first thing I ever said to Janet, when we met at an InterVarsity frosh Bible study in a study room in Donner dorm. She had the hugest leather-bound Bible I’d ever seen anyone carry, and she explained that it was her family’s Bible. I learned later that she did in fact have her own Bible, several of them, including one in Spanish I think. I also got to learn lots of other things about her after that.

Janet was endlessly creative. Our sophomore year she taught Sunday school at PBC, and she was in charge of the crafts. Thus, invariably on Saturday nights she’d be scrambling to think of a good art project for Sunday school the next day. Being comfortable working with a deadline, she always came up with something amazing. One week it was pipe-cleaners in the shape of glasses so we could more clearly see God’s work, another week it was stained-glass windowpanes made with tissue paper. I remember one project really vividly: she wanted the kids to make pictures by gluing colored macaroni onto paper. She went out and bought all kinds of macaroni—tubes, pinwheels, squiggly things, elbows, bowties—and food coloring. On the floor of our dorm room in Mirlo, she soaked the macaroni in the dye, but they came out very pale, not the vibrant color she was hoping for. Since it was already late Saturday night, she decided to leave the macaroni in the dye bowls overnight. When we woke up Sunday morning, the macaroni was much more brightly colored, but it was also soft and gummy from soaking in water overnight! When I left for KCPC, Janet was sitting there with her hair dryer, trying to dry off the individual pieces of macaroni!

Janet and I were on the birthday committee for our dorm sophomore year. For each of 60 dormmates, we made a personalized birthday sign, and decorated their door with a balloon and streamers. This required a lot of commitment some nights, when there were 2 or 3 birthdays on the same day. She was big on celebrating “half birthdays” for those whose birthdays fell in the summer—like hers. She came up with the idea that we should also put birthday wishes somewhere where people wouldn’t expect, and would come across during the day sometime. So, we decided to decorate a stall in the appropriate bathroom on the floor in which the birthday person lived. This lead to lots of late-night sneaking around, as we tried to get into the boys’ bathroom when no one was there!

Janet is to me a model of Christian faith lived out in a real way. When I first came to Stanford, I really wasn’t a strong Christian. In fact, I didn’t think I’d get involved with fellowship at all in college, and I wasn’t sure how much I believed in Christ. She was a model of a mature Christian woman to me, because she was smart and ambitious and bright, she knew the scriptures well—AND she believed wholeheartedly. She taught me how to better understand what the Bible says about and to women. It was clear that she wasn’t a blind sheep, someone who’d been brainwashed into believing, but someone who really believed what the Bible says. That was revolutionary to me, and helped me commit to Christ. She had such wisdom, and taught me so much about being honest and direct in relationships—with God, with others, and with yourself. There were many times she loved me enough to rebuke me and point out areas of weakness and hypocrisy in my own life. She challenged me to be honest with others as well. I’ll never forget one way she tried to teach me this—when we lived together our sophomore year, she would often come home from class when I was sitting at my desk studying. She would talk to me about her day, but after a while I’d be anxious to get back to my work. She knew that I’d get frustrated and annoyed sometimes when she interrupted me in the middle of my studying, but she also knew I never said anything about it. Later I learned that sometimes she would talk to me longer, on purpose, to try to get me to speak out. She believed that you should always be honest and direct in your dealings with others, and wanted me to get more comfortable doing that.

Janet always seemed so wise because she always spoke about things she knew and had experienced. Every piece of advice and consultation she gave had come from her own experience and past. She was such a powerful testimony to me because she had experienced so much—poverty, loss, conflict, want, identity issues, insecurity, rejection, depression—and yet she still believed that God is good and she trusted in the hope of Christ. Once just recently, maybe fall 2001, I was sharing with her how I was struggling spiritually. I didn’t want to go to Bible study, I didn’t want to read the Word, I didn’t want to pray. As I had done many times before, I went to Janet for help. Though I was older in age, I felt like she was the older sister in the faith, and I knew she was similar to me in many ways. She told me that I needed to pray to God about it. Ask God for more, she said. Even though He’s given you so much, you just need to ask for, she said. You can’t get it from others, or by the force of your will. When she gave me this advice, I knew with a certainty that she had experienced such a spiritual wilderness herself, and what’s more, that she had come out of it through God’s faithfulness. Her words gave me hope.

I felt like Janet was the Christian sister who truly knew me. All my most shameful sins and weaknesses, the ones I was afraid to tell other people, I could tell her knowing that I would not be judged. She understood and empathized, because she knew her own heart and her own flaws. I would confess to her, thinking that I was the only one who struggled with a particular sin, and lo and behold, she would confess something similar in return. She made Christianity seems like a real faith, for real, broken and fallible people, and not a crutch that promises sunshine and happiness to people who need to believe in something. She never liked the pat “Christian” answers that people used to comfort others, but looked for what was real and genuine. She gave me hope that even a sinner like me could be redeemed—Christ’s love is stronger than all those things.

Janet is seriously one of the smartest people I know. I mean, she was amazing: major in linguistics, minors in math and Spanish. She could do absolutely anything she set her mind to, in whatever profession. She was also super talented. She played acoustic guitar, bass guitar, tambourine and a little of the congo drum. She was totally creative and artistic. She knew all kinds of random facts, and she felt passionately about a wide variety of issues—bilingualism in schools, teaching math to girls, urban ministry, missions work, community-building, accountability.

Janet was generous in her love for people. Our freshman year, she was the only one in our Bible study who had a car, out of 10 of us. Anytime we needed anything, or wanted food, we’d call her up, and invariably she’d come and give us a ride. This lead to some precarious trips, like the time we packed 9 people into her Toyota Camry (one in the trunk) for a ride to Taco Bell on El Camino. We made it that time without incident. The time we got pulled over, in the parking lot of Taco Bell, we only had 7 people in the car. We kind of gave up our food runs after that.

Janet also faithfully led our freshman Bible study in worship every week. She felt like she wasn’t the most talented musician in the group, or had the best voice, but she humbly allowed God to use her to help us worship.

Janet and I bonded over the fact that we were both PKs (preacher’s kids). She had fond memories of her dad. She once told me that when she was really little, she would go “swimming” in the baptism pool at church.

Desiree Ong

Entry #5 : May 13, 2002 7:34 PM

"I remember you said
Love was more than your good intentions
Empty boxes on the floor
Things I never asked you for
I pray that when the wick is burned
You would say that it's all about love" - Jars of Clay

I first met Janet my freshman year (her sophomore year) in the parking lot of Serra/Donner. We were part of a big group going to the Michael W. Smith concert at San Jose Arena. I remember her being very excited about the opening act: Jars of Clay. At that time, I had no idea who that group even was. But, Janet was really getting into it. She knew all the lyrics by heart and (I think) she even brought her drumsticks with her to the concert. From Janet, I sensed a deep appreciation from music in her.

Leo Jeng

Entry #6 : May 13, 2002 7:34 PM

I met Janet through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship during my freshman year at Stanford (at the time, she was a sophomore). However, I didn't really get to know her until the following year when we both went to China on an IVCF Global project to Kunming. It was during that time that I got to know her better as a teammate and as a friend. During our trip, I remembered that all of us went through difficult times of adjustments to the culture, food, and climate. I remembered always being hot and sweaty from our orientation in Hong Kong all the way until we reached Kunming (which thankfully was cooler due to the higher altitude). At the beginning, personal differences created little conflicts. Conflicts that usually stemmed from insensitivity to those who were struggling more with the cultural differences of Asia from the US. I confess, I was probably one of those who were less sensitive to that. Having been born overseas and raised in a Taiwanese home, coming to China was like coming home in some sense. The food was familiar, and people spoke mandarin, even the hot climate did not bother me much. However, that was not the case with the rest of the team. Janet made me realize my insensitivities in those areas. Throughout the trip, we had challenging conversations, and I've always appreciated her honesty. The trip taught me a lot about being sensitive to others and how to resolve conflicts, and Janet played a big part of that. I guess that's one thing I will always remember about Janet. Her honesty to those around her. I've always appreciated that she never withheld her opinions from her friends. Especially in areas that needed correction. She was a loving sister to cared for the well being of her friends. She was always real and transparent, never hiding who she was to those around her. Her honesty and realness I believe are examples of the way Jesus desires us to be when he calls us to "worship in spirit and in truth." I hope you will receive comfort from our Lord during this difficult time.

Mark Lo

Entry #7 : May 13, 2002 7:35 PM

I first remember a significant conversation with Janet at some InterVarsity retreat, I think freshman year. We went out to the basketball courts and talked about something deep, maybe about the nature of God. I just know that I came away from the conversation struck by Janet's wisdom, she said some really profound things that amazed me. I was really inspired that fellow college freshmen could have such insight and passion for God, and it made me want to stick with InterVarsity to get to know such people.
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Later that year, we went on the freshman summer project with IV together down to LA. One thing I remember with great fondness is her repetoire of guitar songs for kids -- she knew all the words and chords and loved leading those kids in song. It was a great sight.
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I really like how Janet was never afraid to ask to play basketball with "the guys". It was fun playing with her, she liked to play, and she would try to bridge the stereotypic gender gap by coming out to play with us.
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Rollerblading at night became a favorite pastime of mine after I went with Janet and Val. It was a good opportunity for talking, exercise, and enjoying the Stanford night. We had some good times, and LateNight afterwards was always a welcome activity!
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Worship team allowed me to get to know Janet a lot better. I recognize her great passion for God via musical worship, her integrity as a worship leader, and her commitment as a team member. I really liked playing guitar with Janet (although she always complained that I didn't have enough rhythm to play rhythm guitar, rightly so), and I was impressed with her ability to transition smoothly to the rhythm/percussion instruments. We had some powerful times of worship where we were able to play and sing and resonate together.
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Her commitment to me as a friend was apparent as she was one of the first faces I saw when I came back from abroad. She and some other people from our oikos had come out to SFO with my parents to greet me when I came back. Amazing. Her care packages for me and small group members, her valentine cards to all of us, her friendship is extravagant.
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Towards the end of college, I began to see Janet as a model in humility -- serving me, serving others. She kept in the background but was always there, supporting, and doing the things that were necessary but that others thought mundane. She would run the sound board, do transparencies at large group, move equipment, so selflessly and uncomplainingly. I remember that I actively wanted to be more like her in that way.
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Janet challenges me. In her effort to be real, to reach to people, to serve, to be selfless in service.
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I remember at Back to the Farm when Janet made the hard choice between worship team and leading a small group. It was difficult for her to give up something she loved so much like leading worship, but she was trying to be obedient to God and go for something she knew would stretch her and take her out of her comfort zone. I respect that very much.
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Janet was vital to my spirits when Real World Christian Fellowship first started. It was tough for me to keep wanting to press on with it, it seemed like everyone was showing up with expectations, and I was just too burnt out from work to plan it. A lot of times I showed up Friday nights in a tired state, wanting to give up. But Janet was there every week, and just her presence made me believe it could work, and made me want to be there. I ended up transitioning out of the leadership and she took over with Tilden/Mimi, and I didn't really get to fellowship with her after that. But her faithfulness to the group, to God, and to me were an inspiration.
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I'll miss you, Janet. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye.

nikki a. toyama

Entry #8 : May 13, 2002 7:36 PM

we were all so excited to go to jimmy lu's wedding. not only was it one of our first stanford iv weddings, but he was one of our favorite people and we were so happy for him.

a group of us headed down to south carolina for the wedding. one of my favorite memories was of janet. she often gets caught up in small things, and latches on relentlessly. and in south carolina she found her small thing. she decided in her mind that she really wanted to go to chick-fil-a, a chicken fast food restaurant that she knew. so without fail, every time we passed one, or someone mentioned food, or someone mentioned anything even closely related to food, janet bounced up and down, clapping her hands together (in the delighted way that small children do when they receive a present) and said in a sing-songy voice, "chick-fil-a, chick-fil-a."

and her campaign worked. we ate at chick-fil-a. a few months ago, I was at a conference where the vice president of chick-fil-a spoke, and I thought of janet, as I do every time I pass a chick-fil-a.

Becca Chang

Entry #9 : May 13, 2002 7:36 PM

dear janet,

i'm thankful you're with our tender father now, that your race and labor are over. you were dealt a tough, incomprehensible hand, one i don't understand. but you are in a place that needs no faith. all things are revealed. you understand now and that is enough for me.

janet, we had some great memories together didn't we. what a blessing it was to traverse freshman year with such a model christian sister. i remember your hanging out in your dorm room, your car, making runs to the christian book store, civ, pbc, jamming together (how your preferences for how certain songs should be played always cracked me up - i hope i'm still singing 'i will celebrate' the 'right' way), camping out at the quad, and learning about reconciliation at fro pro (i know, i know, how dare i call it 'dat'). ...but as awesome as these memories are, they are still rubbish, as paul said, compared to the eternals of god. you are part of god's eternity and i look forward to being part of it as well.

sisters always,

Aurore Wu

Entry #10 : May 13, 2002 7:37 PM

Janet was my oikos (small group) leader my sophomore year. That year I went home in Asia for Christmas, but had to come back Jan. 2 because I had bought tickets too late. Janet was tremendously generous and kind in offering her house for me to stay for a few days. That's when I got to know her better, and when I met her family. She made me feel so welcome and comfortable. I have a funny memory from that stay: just before the quarter started, she was going to drive both herself and myself (and suitcases) back to campus. Before that, we were going to swing by San Jose Airport to pick up another of her friend. But we bumped into so many familiar faces at the airport, and, Janet being her usual tremendously kind self, offered everyone a ride back to Stanford. It amazed me how we managed to squeeze 5 people and 7 or 8 huge duffel bags into her car (plus my big suitcase in the trunk). In the end, with all the bags piled up on top of us, I couldn't see the road ahead. Nobody in the backseat could. And since we drove back on the really dimly lit 280, it made for quite an interesting experience. It felt like a roller coaster ride! Apart from the funny aspect of the situation, I think this really showed what a giving and caring person Janet was, and it is one of my fondest memories of her.

Hiro Tsuda

Entry #12 : May 13, 2002 9:39 PM

Some of Janet's plans/hopes/desires:
Joining Wycliffe.
Teaching middle school again next year.
Living with two other "Real World" gals.
Marriage. :o)

Memories of Ms. Sekiguchi:
Faithfulness in participating in Spirit Days.

Enjoying Chinese food lunches and playing cards with other Middle School (i'm not sure which school that was - I believe Sierramont) staff.
When Ms. S called the parents of students who were not turning in homework or not doing well in class, she was very attentive and sensitive to parent responses. She was glad when they seemed supportive of their children and sad when they seemed angry.

Janet's humility.
On multiple occasions, I expressed grievances about the actions of some people to which she often respond, "I do that." She helped me see the plank in my eye.

Janet's ability to understand.
When I couldn't express myself clearly to some roommates, Janet could do it for me. I know it wasn't just her linguistics training; she is very attentive.

Other times the two of us shared.
We once made bad music together. She played my violin while I played her guitar.
Once when I was having a hard time reading some notes for a Bible study class, she read them aloud for me... with restrained commentary.

Some items I associate with her:
big shorts
flip flops and socks
frappaccinos
frozen frappaccino bars
jamba juice
crafts

Other words I would use to describe her.
sensitive (to self and others), restrained, spirited, inclusive…

Kim Hsu

Entry #13 : May 13, 2002 9:41 PM

when i think of janet sekiguchi, i think of baggy shorts, flip-flops with socks, "sketchy" facial expressions, guitar & tamborine playing, rapping & dancing to 80's music, veggie tales, oikos t-shirt & key-chain creating, and numerous adventures in china. i remember how much she loved to worship God, and how much fun she had doing it. i think of her great sense of humor that never missed a beat, and her unwavering loyalty to her friends that never missed an opportunity to serve. i remember how we could always depend on janet, and how considerately, sensitively, and thoughtfully she cared for others.

i remember experiences that only the two of us shared, like getting paired together wandering around in the beijing silk market, wondering how it was that the only 2 people in the group who couldn't speak mandarin got stuck with each other. and the fishing dance, where she would pretend to cast out a fishing line, catch me, and reel me in. i wish that janet were around to remind me of all the other memories we shared, since she always had a much better memory than me!

i look forward to the day when we'll see each other again, worshiping God together for eternity. i can picture her now, strumming her guitar, tilting her head from side to side, singing with newfound joy, "i like bananas, i know that mangoes are sweet...". and maybe we'll even do a little "fishing."

Margaret Hsieh

Entry #14 : May 13, 2002 9:41 PM

Janet had a voice of an angel and a heart with a strong desire for God. It was always a joy to sing praises to God with her.
I'll truly miss her a lot.

Jen Chou

Entry #15 : May 13, 2002 9:42 PM

My first strong memory of Janet was at the end of our freshman year. We, and a bunch of other excited and silly frosh, were on our way to Los Angeles for InterVarsity's Frosh Project. After spending a week at San Louis Obispo studying the Sermon on the Mount, we were driving down the 101 to World Impact in South Central, LA. Somewhere on that drive, we passed a sign - "El Segundo.... # miles..." Janet sees that sign, and then immediately starts singing - "I left my wallet in El Segundo, got, gotta to get it..." Our whole car starts busting out in song and laughs. Even now, I can't remember who wrote that song, or how I knew it before. But everytime I think of Janet, those lyrics come to mind. And I like to think of El Segundo as Janet's honorary hometown.

This memory is a little random, but it makes me to smile to imagine Janet singing that song, with her sunglasses on, when we were young frosh at Stanford. Her warmth and fun spirit is what I treasure in my memory.

Alice Chang

Entry #16 : May 13, 2002 9:43 PM

 

I was always very impressed and encouraged when Janet shared about how much God had brought her through, the joy He'd given her, how He carried her through tough times. She would get this smile, the sweetest smile, and when she praised God through singing she always had a special, soft, sweet voice. Almost child-like. She was a blessing and encouragement.

Grace Hsiao

Entry #17 : May 13, 2002 9:44 PM

We weren’t ever in the same small group; we never lived in the same dorm; we didn’t even take the same classes. But Janet was a definite constant in my Stanford experience; I can’t imagine college without her.

We met during orientation. After we kept bumping into each other at the same events, we just started going to things together. Consequently, people confused us. After a while, this really bugged us and I made a little primer on the web to help folks tell us apart. She would remind me to update it, and displayed a very prominent link to our “Twin Page” on her own site.

Janet was fun! She was always game to hang out whenever I popped by unannounced or asked her to drive me some place. We spent a lot of time in her car. Going to church. Going to conferences. Going shopping. Going to get food. Going to random dances. Going to Senior Pub Night. And we’d talk about the neat mutual friends we had, events coming up, the guys we liked…

Janet loved the groups she belonged in. She often talked about her dorm, her small group etc. I loved hearing her ongoing enthusiasm about her different circles of friends. “I love my oikos!” “Aww…SLE folks are awesome!” “That’s us, the Donner Party.” She was avidly involved in these groups. “I need to collect bottles for AmStud! We’re brewing beer together!” “I’m making a t-shirt for my small group!” “My small group’s going disco bowling at 6am; isn’t that so cool?” She would name groups and affirm affiliations that I didn’t as easily see. “We’re all IV seniors!” “Asian Christians who started out in IV!” “You guys are my church car!” She helped people see their similarities, and in that way, she built community. Through her enthusiasm, her participation and her observations, she naturally connected people and made us feel like we belonged.

Janet spoke truth. She said hard things that others were afraid to say. She rooted for the underdog, pointed out injustice and made us see and grapple with issues that we were less naturally inclined to see. I remember her calling herself “Junior Asparagus.” She was talking about a Veggie Tales t-shirt she designed for her oikos; I think she associated every person with a different character. I remember her proudly pointing to Junior Asparagus. “That’s me. He’s the one who reminds everyone to stand firm in the truth. He’s always reminding everyone to look to God.”

Janet extended grace. I think this went along with her firm sense of right and wrong; she also knew what was right. I remember at one Back to the Farm, IV’s pre-orientation retreat, we were all sitting in a circle sharing about our summers. I had just come off an amazing one with God, and for me, this always goes hand in hand with some conviction of sin. Unplanned and not completely conscious on my part, I confessed to the whole group my past judgment of our fellowship. Awkward silence ensued, and I sat heavy, my head swarming with the ramifications and me feeling the full weight of my sin. And God used Janet to lift that, as she lovingly and confidently spoke out, “On behalf of the entire body, we forgive you, Grace.”

Thank you, Janet. I’ll miss you very much.

Dave Hong

Entry #18 : May 13, 2002 9:45 PM

My most lasting impression of Janet was when she came to visit me while I was in Korea. She went on a tour of Korea with other adopted Korean children and then spent three days with me. We got to go to church together, eat lots of Korean food, and spend a lot of time talking and sharing.

What I'll remember most about that trip was her opinion that the Ronald McDonald's in Korea looked different from the Ronald McDonald's in America. Since I had been in Korea for a while, I forgot what he looked like in America, and was unsure if he really looked different. It was funny because she kept bringing it up. Like, we'd be talking about the different strategies of teaching junior high school students mathematics, there would be a silence in the conversation, and suddenly Janet would blurt out, "No, really, he looks SO different!" She was so adamant that she took a picture with a Korean Ronald McDonald, and then, when she got home to the States, she took a picture with an American Ronald McDonald and sent me the two pictures to prove her point. (Personally, I still don't think they look *that* different.)

I'll miss Janet greatly.

Carey Benson

Entry #19 : May 13, 2002 9:45 PM

I first met Janet at MuFuUnSun (Music and Fun Under the Sun), one of the orientation week activities freshman year. We shared experiences of Bible study, learning Greek, wearing shorts in December, and dreams of doing Bible translation. I really admired her generosity, patience, and servanthood, and I am thankful for the privilege of having known her.

Jelin Yen

Entry #20 : May 13, 2002 9:46 PM

The first time I met Janet was in Chem 32 which we were both taking the first quarter of our freshman year. We were both in the same section, along with Danny Chai. My first impression of Janet at that time was that she was really smart and funny. Since that time, I have always been blessed by her enthusiastic spirit and serving heart. Janet was an awesome sister.

Jenny Yoo

Entry #21 : May 13, 2002 9:46 PM

My favorite voice to listen to on the Intervarsity worship tape was Janet's...her light, pure voice reminded me of someone genuinely worshiping God with an earnest heart and childlike faith. The year that I knew Janet the most was her freshman year - I always liked her genuineness and her witty humor.

gus hernandez

Entry #22 : June 3, 2002 1:03 PM

janet and i hung out on a balmy friday afternoon in san francisco in february 2002. or january. bad short-term memory.

we went to the sanrio stores. she convinced me to get the soft gray nyago wallet, even though i thought it was kinda girly. so what, she said, it's totally cute.

i'm so glad i got it.

gus hernandez

Entry #23 : June 3, 2002 1:27 PM

when i found out i had appendicitis my sophomore year, i called janet to drive me to the hospital.

"hello, janet? this is gus. i kinda need a favor."
"sure, what's up?"
"i need to get to stanford medical center. i have appendicitis."
"...you're joking right?"
"no, really!"

it took a while to convince her.

Bernice Yau

Entry #24 : June 17, 2002 2:20 PM

Janet, you are one of those people I wish I had known better and deeper. Thank you for sharing glimpses into your soul with me. I am so glad for the last phone conversation we were able to share last fall, and that I at least connected with you. Thank you for being honest and raw with me, and for your continual hope in the Lord.

Love,
Bernice

These memory blurbs connect to the photos:

I like this picture of Janet near her guitar case.  It captures the part of Janet that sticks out the most to me: her worshipful spirit.  I recall Janet and her guitar, playing on the worship team at IV for many Thursday night meetings.  But the memory I love the most is Janet, with her tambourine, in the midst of the congregation, worshipping God in her own way, totally oblivious to the other people around her.  It was as if it were only she and God in that room, and she was pouring herself out to God in worship.  I loved and admired that in her.

The picture of me, Ruth, and Janet is always very funny to me.  It was our senior year, and we all lived in AmStud together.  We were all dressed in "Hawaiian style" for Halloween.  Janet said I looked liked her mom!  Not the effect I was going for, but it still amuses me today.

The "Free Taiwan" is shot in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.  A bit rebellious and very funny, the picture was taken on behalf of Taiwan people everywhere (including Henry Hsu).

val

Entry #25 : September 12, 2002 11:52 AM

happy birthday, janet! i know i'm a day early, but i didn't want to miss it. you'd be 26 tomorrow, september 13. (not sure what's wrong with the date function on this post.) would you be working now for the charter school part time with your friend from church, as you both were so excited about? or perhaps you would still be teaching the adults in the ESL program? in any case, i'm sure eileen and karen would have planned something neat for your birthday, as they always do. remember when they took you rock climbing? i wish i could have gone! gosh, how many birthdays did i miss, being out in new york? i was hoping you'd be able to visit sometime. i think you'd have really liked the city, an urban center with an incredible mix of social, racial, and spiritual needs and challenges.

i think you'd have liked costa rica, where i am right now. i think of you often here, not only because i'm learning spanish, but because i just miss your friendship. i'm sad that i'll never have a chance to practice my spanish with you. i'm sure you'd have helped me improve a lot! guess i'll have to practice with sal, like you did when we were at school!
also, i would probabably have asked for your help with my wedding long before now. you'd be a bridesmaid, of course. i found the dresses with my mom and jen at the same outlet dress shop where we shopped for your formal dress last summer, before henry's wedding. i wonder if you'd like them. i don't remember ever seeing you wear purple. there'll still be a special place for you in our wedding, though i wish you could be there.
anyway, we're planning to take out your mom for lunch or something for your birthday, just as we used to go out with you. a little bit of joy luck club or something, no? hope that'd be okay with you.
well, miss you lots. once again, happy birthday. love, val

Rico

Entry #26 : September 13, 2004 6:14 AM

Happy birthday, Janet!

So I finally changed my PIN code. It served me well for seven years, but when it came time to close all my personal accounts and join my finances in holy matrimony with my wife’s, somehow it just didn’t seem appropriate to bring the old code with me. Which is a shame really – to this day nothing comes as reflexively to my fingers as your phone number. I can’t even imagine how many times I practiced that rhythm across the number pad. Scrolling down every name in a cell phone just doesn’t feel the same.

I miss competing with you, even if I was never really any competition. I’m still searching for somebody as willing to play Encore as you were. I’ve long ago abandoned the practice of carrying the game in my backpack “just in case”, although I of course still carry the backpack, despite the mocking from my officemates. Where else would I keep all my toys? I even still have my memorial domino from… let’s see… I think it was the third time my book bag was stolen. It’s been so long, and it’s not like I even really kept track then…. And of course, I still have one of my most prized possessions safely ensconced in its shrine. My wife was stunned when she saw the cards for the first time. She had a hard time imagining a person who would put so much time and effort into meticulously crafting a complete deck of cards for a game that didn’t technically exist. Naturally, I didn’t have to.

I’m constantly amazed at how much your life still affects mine, although I really shouldn’t be. It’s been years since I realized how much my life was shaped by you. Everything I ever do or will become will be in part because I knew you. And for that, I’m thankful.