TNG was the first Trek I ever watched. From the time I was 1 year old, my parents had me watching reruns of a show that I would quickly fall in love with.

From the amazing storytelling, to the characters I’d never forget, TNG remains the Trek that got me started as a fan, and I’ll never be able to express how much it means to me. When I was 4 or 5, my first imaginary friend was Beverly Crusher. 

I thought she was so smart, pretty, and just a brilliant person. She’s always been my favorite character on the show, and showed me what it meant to be tough, but embrace vulnerability and femininity. I owe a lot to her, and to Gates McFadden for portraying such a complex, badass character. Happy 35th, TNG!!