My SSP Family
I woke up Thursday, June 27, astonished that it was already my blog day. On arrival day, I signed up for this day thinking it would take forever to come. The time from that day to now feels like both forever and also a blink of an eye. And I know from experience that these mere 39 days are ones I need to make the most of now. During these days, I’ve done my best to treasure my time. And the best way to do that was to get to know my fellow participants and staff. Even though it hasn’t even been 14 days yet, I’ve already grown to love this family.
Aya. One of my wonderful roommates, her cheerful and bubbly presence always brightens my day. I love walking with her to C4C for breakfast, talking about everything from observation to laundry.
Andres. From speaking on Instagram about the DEN conspiracies to meeting in person to being seated together in the classroom, I’ve grown to love every conversation with Mr. Aquaphor. He never ceases to make me laugh. In the future, I will always think of his yelling when playing Poetry for Neanderthals or Brawl Stars.
Ana. We sat next to each other for our first programming lecture, and ever since then, I’ve loved talking with this amazing girl. I feel like I can talk about anything with her because she’s just so amiable. My favorite conversation, though, was when we were pulling our hairs at our coding bugs.
Anabelle. I’ve gotten to speak with her when going to breakfast early with Aya and grinding problem sets at night. I very deeply admire her drive in working late and getting up early — and she gives the best explanations. (Thanks!)
Ben. While initially he was quiet, I’ve laughed a ton with him. I’m so glad to see him open up with us, and hope he continues to do so. I’m writing this after working with him on Problem Set 4, and now I believe everyone should work with him at least once.
Berenika. I’m actually writing this beside her right now! We spoke a lot on Instagram before camp, and I am so happy that we’re so close now. She has the best outfits, and I love talking with her about the randomest things (such as shopping).
Corina. This girl was one of the first people I met at the airport, and she is a joy to be with. (And yes, now I know where Reno is.) Her smile is the sweetest, and I admire her intelligence. I still remember her crash course on partial derivatives, all the way back from Problem Set 1.
Charlie. When he’s not hitting my tennis balls over the rec center roof, Charlie’s super fun to be with. I can’t wait to rally more with him on the rooftop (when he replaces those balls he threw over the fence). I always laugh when he joins our conversations.
Clea. I still don’t know how she does the train whistle with her hands. I’m still blowing through my hands to no avail. Besides the train whistle, though, this girl is so fun to work with, and she always has something insightful to say! A true joy to be with.
Daniel. I remember speaking to him when queuing a song on his speaker that one night. I changed the mood from hip-hop to karaoke, but, come on — who doesn’t like a good Bruno Mars song? (SSP karaoke when?)
David K. This guy has the most fire outfits in this entire camp! The resident Bob Ross of our group, this gentleman is so sweet and kind. He is a wonder to talk to, and I can’t wait to work with him for the next four weeks.
David F. He was one of the first SSP people I followed on Instagram. That meant I saw his name everywhere when I followed more SSP people! While I haven’t spoken with him as much so far, I want to talk with the dude whose Instagram username I’ve seen for the past month and a half.
Dezhou. My long-lost brother! I’ve finally lived my dream of being a big sister. Even though we always bicker back and forth about the silliest things (such as doing Ctrl + C wrong), I’m glad to have him as a friend. Sorry — sibling.
Eisha. I’ve gotten really close with her before camp, and now that we’re in person, I’m so happy I sit next to her in class! We click so well — I love going shopping with her, and I can’t wait to dance to k-pop with her at the talent show! (Thank you for the moisturizer :D)
Ethan Ch. I met this guy at the airport, and immediately recognized him as the Ethan K. Chen on Discord. He’s always made me laugh (and yell a bit when he brandishes his handmade slingshot). I hope his ankles are okay, though — he’s tripped multiple times on our hikes. Ethan Ch. This guy’s exuberance and humor has made the entire camp laugh. He has great taste in boba and I can feel multiple campers’ moods rise when he joins any conversation.
Ellie. I am quite entertained when talking to this girl. She’s gotten locked out three (and possibly more) times from the dorm. No matter what, though, I will always be there to let her back in. Maybe this year, we can both do Inktober together!
Hazem. I don’t think he remembers this, but on the first Monday of camp, he greeted me from across the C4C. This is the most minute moment ever, but I was so surprised that someone else but me initiated a greeting that I almost forgot to respond. Thank you for saying hi!!
Kaci. Another one of my roommates, this girl is so amazing to be with. She’s such a hard worker and a sweet person. I hope one day she’ll be able to purchase her ogslimes order (maybe it’ll be during camp). Thanks for being so awesome, and I’ll see you later tonight!
Ilisha. I remember messaging her before my flight to Colorado. I was pretty nervous about going to camp, but she made me feel so much better. I had a really drama-filled flight, but I’m glad she’s there to talk with me! Seeing her smile makes me smile too.
Kaku. This guy has never failed to make me laugh. I hope that he doesn’t overdo the basketball after eating pork again, though. He should eat a banana instead (for the potassium). Maybe one day I’ll convince him to play tennis.
Klokwe. We’ve gotten so close over such a little time. I’m so thankful to have him as my personal stylist, and he’s been scoring A+ on remembering how to spell my name! He’s also got the most beautiful singing voice. You’ve got to hear.
Kira. I always thought this girl is so so cool, ever since I first saw her Instagram page a month ago! She has the best sunglasses and great music taste. I’m so happy to get to know her, especially since we’re seated near each other. It’s my wish to try Nothing Bundt Cakes with her one day!
Krish. When I was still nervous meeting all the new campers, Krish was super talkative and made me super comfortable. The four hours we spent at the airport did not feel like four hours at all with him. I’m glad he’s here!
Lauren. She’s the first person I met in-person here, picking me up from my plane gate. She’s so fun to talk to and speaks so eloquently. Also, thanks for picking up my AirPods when I dropped them!
Luka. The first person I messaged ever in the SSP server (and guess what: it’s about tennis). I still can’t get over his “yayyyyy” at seeing his asteroid move. I’m looking forward to our next hitting session for tennis!
Morgyn. We talked a lot over Instagram before SSP, and she is such a dream to be with. I remember speaking about cafe-hopping with her, and I still am looking forward to grabbing a coffee with her. And, of course, tennis!
Maya. One of my group mates, I spoke with her a lot as well from running the Instagram intro posts. She is so, so nice and sweet and deserves the entire world. I am so thankful to have her as a friend and studymate.
Nick. My other group mate, and literally the nicest and funniest guy! He makes the coolest Instagram stories, and can get along with literally anyone. I am, again, so thankful to have him as a friend. Thank you for offering to carry my water bottle and catching me when I trip.
Nicla. I love talking with this young lady! From bonding over our favorite sunscreen (😉) to speaking about Greece trips, she is such an inspirational person that I’m honored to know. Also, she has the cutest dresses (including this red one with tiny hearts)!
Sadie. She immediately was warm and welcoming, even when we met on the bus to Crosman, and she continues to be an amazing friend. I’m so thankful that I can confide in her. I’m excited to dance to Armageddon with her!
Sam. While I haven’t spoken to him much, I deeply respect this man for his focus and sharp mind. Whenever I see him, he’s hard at work on his computer. I hope to speak to him more!
Tava. She’s an amazingly sweet girl that I always love seeing in the hallways. We never fail to say hi to each other, and I am sure there are many more greetings we’ll say! Also, she wears the cutest skirts.
Tejus. My coding partner! From grinding through code together and playing tennis, he’s so fun to be with. I’ll never forget his computer constantly logging him out. Now we’re at a whole new set of computers.
Vincent. My hand line twin!! I’m so glad to get to know this sweet person. Even though he hit 33% of my tennis balls over the rec center roof, he’s still a great tennis partner. He’s a super hard worker who deserves a break now and then.
These simple moments are all times I know I will miss as soon as July 24th comes. While this day was not as eventful as yesterday’s run through the rain, this simplistic day was still a golden one. From Kevin drinking our two Jamba Juices during lunch to me finding the coolest-looking banana at C4C, these tiny seconds from today are ones I treasure. This includes when I was stressed out over my code and banging my head against the table. I know that in the end, I’ll look back upon all these moments fondly.
As we drive back from Mud Lakes to Crosman Sunday night, I’m typing this on my phone. I’m hearing my friends telling stories about squirrels. Half the bus is asleep. I look around at these wonderful people. And I love these wonderful people.
About me: Ashlyn Gao is a rising senior at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida. In addition to studying mathematics and physics, she captains her varsity tennis team, plays the harp, sews, and serves as Lieutenant Governor for her Key Club district. She is honored to be here with everyone!
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