Farewell, SSP

Every beginning meets an end. 

On June 15th, I departed from LAX full of anxiousness and nervousness of what’s to come. The canvas—my potential life and experience at SSP—was empty, and my head was simply filled with the one goal of getting the first stroke right. 

Back then, five weeks sounded way too long. How could I share a room with a complete stranger? How could I ever live without my family? 

On the plane ride to El Paso, I envisioned myself struggling and chasing through the labs and lectures; moreover, I wondered what kind of people I’d meet, who my best friends would be, how well I would perform, who my roommate would be and what kind of fun we’d have.

Figure 1: My Southwest plane ride from LAX to ELP. 

And so I embarked on my five-week journey with absolutely nothing but fear. 

Much to my expectations, the beginning was rough.

Figure 2: First lab with the Slytherins

Growing up in a mediocre public school in California, the fast-paced academic environment at SSP was so novel and unfamiliar. I failed to digest materials and sometimes even choked on the information. Ultimately, I developed the notorious Impostor Syndrome.

I recall a day in Week 2 when we first learned about CRISPR. One of our professors (AD), Dr. Akele, told us that this newfound technology will modify DNA in organisms using a guide RNA to direct the Cas9 enzyme from bacteria to cleave a specific target sequence. 

When I first heard of this revolutionary mechanism, I got migraines. But everyone else seemed to understand it well. 

I also struggled socially because of this Imposter Syndrome. In every interaction, I wondered if that person would judge me or belittle me. As I began to realize the gaps between me and my peers, my fears amplified. 

But the negative emotions eventually dissipated as I followed the one trait SSP emphasized: collaboration. 

Through coming to terms with myself and my current abilities, I learned to lower my ego and ask people for help. And when I embraced my shortcomings, my worries gradually disappeared. 

I started attending lectures and labs with the mindset to learn and grow rather than fearing incompetence. When I interacted with people, I began to express myself rather than fearing their judgment. 

And through this awakening, I successfully completed my manuscript and poster alongside my wonderful groupmates, Ivy Wei and Grant Wang. ‘

Figure 3: First trio pose with the SIG FIGS

Figure 4: Last trio pose with the SIG FIGS

Despite our struggles and crash-outs, we collaborated and ended our academics on a strong note. (Shout out to Celcius for becoming my best friend throughout the project.) And though we couldn’t actually finish everything because our cohort had some issues as a pilot, it all worked out in the end.

Figure 5: Celsius and Alani Nu literally carried me through the last three nights

Figure 6: Korean food night after presentations

So truly, SSP drowned me and transformed me, so that I could learn how to swim. 

Fast forward, today marks the end—the final day of the first Cell Biology cohort. 

Many tears were shed as we said our final goodbyes. But as the saying goes, if a goodbye hurts you, then that means you have spent your time well. And I undeniably spent the most unforgettable time here.

Figure 7: Aarav Reddy going back to India

Figure 8: Last bus ride to the ELP airport

Now I depart from El Paso, back to LAX.

Figure 9: My plane ride to LAX.

If I had previously left LAX as a seed, a blank page, and a directionless compass, I now leave El Paso as a bloomed flower, a filled canvas, and a navigated individual. 

So SSP, this experience has been one of a kind. By participating in this program, I not only learned about science, but of my passion and the person I want to be. More importantly, the five weeks I spent here at NMSU shaped me in numerous ways: I grew as a student, as a friend, as a scientist, but most importantly, as a person. I did not regret a single second of my experience, and I will miss every moment of it. 

To the three ADs—Dr. Akele, Dr. Bingham, Dr. Catalan—thank you for teaching us and carrying us throughout all the ups and downs and being the best professors I could ever wish for. You guys were the pivotal reason why we were able to pull through. 

To our SD, Ms. Kenjura, thank you for supporting us and providing us under any circumstances; my dorm life was so comfortable because of you. 

To the four TAs—Kelvin, Matthew, Risha, Shivani—thank you for being so kind and understanding of us all and helping us through literally everything. You guys were the supportive pillars for all of us. 

To the 23 other participants, thank you for making my time at SSP so special and memorable. I truly made lifelong friends. 

And to all 31, who became a part of my life this summer: though we may never occupy NMSU once more in the summer of 2025 for the same purpose, I hope we all meet again, someday and someway. 

Farewell, SSP.

Soojin Cho