no amount of words can ever do Courtney’s impact on this world justice (knowing him, he probably would’ve wanted this as a twitter thread about him) and while he was the most loved person I knew, his humility wouldn’t let him let anyone say all the good things he deserved to hear about him without deflecting it back onto us. That being said, I have been crying and am very heartbroken and all of the beautiful things that have been said about him have really warmed my heart so I thought I’d try and share his impact on me:

the first words I ever heard in youth and government were this ominous loud chanting of the words “Courtney’s court” and as someone who was so eager to be in the court program and I joined in on the chanting unknowing of the fact that that same Courtney would change my life forever.

the following summer, I had the honor of being on a team led by him and from that moment he became a friend, mentor, and my North Star that guided me through life as I know it. He met me as an insecure and fragile sophomore and made me believe in myself, taught me the value of kindness, showed me that there was strength in being vulnerable all while showing me what servant leadership looked like. He offered advice, a shoulder to cry on, and an intellect that far surpassed anyone I’ve ever met. From that summer onwards, I knew I had a friend in him.

Going back to NJC for my final year, my single goal was to be what he was for me to everyone in that delegation. His ability to lead with his heart and his mind was something I yearned to do. He was my inspiration in every single way.

When I made my college college decision, one of the biggest reasons I chose Berkeley was because Courtney was there. I would rave about how much I wanted to follow in his footsteps and cherished our weekly lunches with Erika Siao and Joanna Chen my first year on campus. Sam and I would always take turns deciding who would spend meal points on who because we ofc had to pay it forward just like those before us. Those lunches were full of advice on everything and they would literally help me on my data 8 hw because I couldn’t code for my life and in all honesty, I was dealing with the worst mental health I’ve ever experienced. Courtney was there to help me out of it and through this, he became even closer to me than he already had been.

One of my favorite memories of him was my sophomore year when I was working with him as the intern back in y and g. I would always introduce him as the former Chief Justice and we would get the delegates to chant Courtney’s court just to make him blush. After he got off the mic he always said that was my last time making that happen, but I really could never let that memory go. In interaction he had with delegates and staff, his personality, intellect, and drive continued to radiate and I just watched in awe.

This past summer, I got to dance with him at DC PRIDE and honestly that was one of the happiest moments I’ve ever experienced. I remember being on the pier with him as we sang and danced and laughed, he was the happiest I had ever seen him and it warmed my heart. Towards the end of the summer, we got dinner at an Indian Restaurant where he asked me to take him to a Congressional Briefing and we shared samosas as we started talking about his future and how excited he was to start at Twitter in the fall.

Thinking back, I’m really sad I missed his last birthday party because I was on duty and that I took the year off from y and g just to give myself a break. My final interaction with him was short but sweet and I promised him that I would see him for lunch at Twitter before the year was up. It breaks my heart that I couldn’t keep that promise and I am shell shocked that all of this has happened to someone who did not deserve it. We lost an angel in this world and I cannot understand why it happened so soon.

Whenever I needed anything, Courtney was there. I had the honor of watching him take on the world. From the con law nerd to the coding genius, his want to help people literally never stopped. He gave everything and more to the entire world and was the definition of a servant leader- someone who consistently gave back and invested his best into literally everyone and everything. His kindness, humility, smile, intellect, and the love he spread never failed to amaze me.

From my sophomore summer of high school to now and for the rest of my life, I have and will continue to push myself to be a sliver of the human he was. He will forever be my North Star that guides me forward.

I’m sending love to his family, friends, and everyone whose life he has touched. While I am in disbelief that someone so angelic, amazing, and inspiring is gone so damn soon, but will continue to hold the memory of him and let that drive me to do my part in creating a future he would be proud of.

Rest in Paradise, Courtney ️💜

— Haazim Amirali