In the words of my best friend:

“When I first think of Mariya, the first things that comes to mind are her generosity, wisdom and pure heart.  This may sound cliche, but Mariya is truly one of the most generous people I know.  She will go out of her way to help people, alleviate their pain and give selflessly.

Mariya enjoys good conversations, especially staying up into the early hours having philosophical debates (which she always wins).  She tells interesting stories (mostly about her dating escapades) and loves to laugh and make others laugh (refer to interesting stories about her dating escapades).  She is an incredible listener and the voice of reason for me and many others.  One trait about her that I have always admired is her drive to try new things, be it a new business idea or singing. Most of the time she does well at them (singing not included). You can normally find her in a book store, or reading a book, or with a cat.”