You could start by describing the qualities of your friend and why you like them or tell a story of how you met.

Start your essay out with something that characterizes your friend in a way to be admired. For example, something like: “My best friend has always been a reliable person in my life…” and add more details. Or perhaps start out with a detail that deals with something that happened in the past like: “When I moved to a new school in Kindergarten, I was a bit shy and I didn’t quite know how to make new friends until I met… (write a few supporting sentences) …and ever since then we’ve been as close as siblings.” Something that’s generally un-used. Most essays start out like: “The person I admire is… because…”, which you should try to avoid to make your essay stand out.

I hope this answer helps you out on your essay 🙂