A Birthday Made Special: Nassar’s Blog

Hello everyone! Here are the videos of the interviews conducted over the past few days and the
quick compilation of July 2nd:

The day started like any other, with my roommate Ulee and I waking up, changing, and
heading to breakfast. Entering the Ford Dining Hall not only marked the beginning of today’s
adventures, but also the brief interviews I hoped to give to both students and faculty! Besides the
interviews, my birthday flowed like any other, with intriguing lectures by Dr. Das and Dr.
Reeves and an engaging computational lab.
Following our dinner from 5:30 P.M to 6:30 P.M, we headed back to the “CHAS”
building to ensure the completion of our ligand docking on the MOE software and our
preparation for Thursday’s wet lab. As the clock hit 9:30 P.M, we began heading to the elevators,
until I was met with a pleasant surprise! Unbeknownst to me, our faculty and my fellow peers
had formed a line by holding their hands together on opposite sides of one another in the shape
of a triangle. Though I was astonished at first, the lively singing of “Happy Birthday” focused
me right back up, and I began walking under the mountain of arms, leading to a table with a
batch of cupcakes.
Although today felt ordinary, the considerate actions of those around me have left me
with a core memory. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the students and faculty for
helping to set up this unforgettable moment. Apart from this singular act, I owe my full gratitude
towards all thirty-five other members I have had the privilege to spend the last three weeks with
for your constant kind words, the delightful conversations we have had, and your selflessness. I
am indescribably appreciative of the opportunity to take part in the Summer Science Program
and spend my summer alongside extraordinary and spectacular high schoolers and wonderful
faculty and directors. Once again, I would like to warmly thank all of my fellow SSP participants
for their constant support, care, and positivity!
To the audience, thank you for listening to what I had to say. Here are the videos
displaying the places we visited and some of the interviews conducted in the past few days!

“the educational experience of a lifetime” … since 1959