According to Brownielocks.com, August 15 is officially Best Friends Day! So, we put out the call: if you're lucky enough to work with your work bestie here at UC Davis Health, we want to celebrate with you! Let's give a shoutout to these dynamic duos who make the workday a whole lot brighter for each other and those around them!
Here are the wonderful submissions:
Jacqui Larripa of Experience Design and Support submitted and said, “Janell (Hastings) and I are Experience twinsies. We met in 2023 as I onboarded the Experience Design team and have been a dynamic duo since. Our relationship is both unconditional and non-judgmental, personally and professionally. Sometimes, I think we were meant to cross paths because of how well we represent one another. My bestie for the restie!”
Jemina Dinsay in the Outpatient Comprehensive Case Management unit submitted this picture of her crew, including Clement Flores, Sherry Lumauoud, Ma. Erlyn Santiago and herself. She said, “work made us colleagues, but our deep conversations, never-ending laughter and common interests made us work besties.”
Similarly, Donovan Nielsen in the Department of Emergency Medicine submitted a picture of the entire Emergency Medicine Research team, including Abhijeet Gorhe, Karina Klein, Nicholeth Santiago, Eric Hanson, and Logen Howze. Santiago added, “We started on the same day in our department and just clicked ever since.”
Rosy Benefeito of the UC Davis Health Transplant Center said, “It’s a blessing to find a bestie you get to see every day.” That’s why she submitted a picture of herself and work BFF Katie Peterson. “Our friendship began when Katie hired me straight out of college, and we've been inseparable ever since. From working side by side to sharing life’s biggest milestones—births, graduations, birthdays, and more—we just get each other,” Benefeito said.
About her work BFF, Mariah, Madison Lipsker of the Purchasing Department said, “I met my work bestie on my very first day three years ago, and we clicked instantly. Around Purchasing, some may know us as the unstoppable ‘M&M’ duo. We balance each other out perfectly and are always on the same wavelength, whether we’re tackling projects side-by-side, dominating Thursday night trivia, or enjoying our beloved coffee walks. Over the years, we’ve built a friendship filled with laughter, support, and endless inside jokes—one that makes work brighter and life so much sweeter.”
Caroline Paikoff-Hilton in Public Affairs and Marketing says of work bestie Emily Lillya, "I discovered a kindred spirit with love for baking, travel, and sharing the pitfalls, promises, and love of motherhood."
Noelle and Haley met during UC Davis pharmacy residency in 2019, and after two years of residency stress, COVID-19 trauma bonding, and countless cups of coffee, they became the best of friends. Noelle and Haley spend time out in nature, hiking their hearts out, running with the Sloppy Moose Running Club, and walking their rescue dogs. Pictured here was their trip the Sequoias National Park!
Big shoutout to everyone who sent in photos of their work besties! We're thrilled to celebrate your amazing friendships. It's heartwarming to see UC Davis Health relationships blossom from 'work colleagues' to 'best friends forever.' You know what they say, a dose of your work bestie a day keeps the stress at bay.
