Zooming through July

- Alex

It's interesting how much you can grow to value a new group of people in just a few months. The BWSI experience really brought that to me, and I'm grateful for that.

When I initially applied for the program, I hadn't thought much about the community that I'd become a part of; to me, it was just an opportunity to develop my coding skills and motivate myself to improve them. When I got accepted, though, I had the luck of coming across others had also gotten in, and from there, a community was formed.

Although we were all from different parts of the country, from the west coast to the east coast and places in between, we overcame many of the obstacles that accompanied this distance. We did VCs with each other. We played Geoguessr. We made a playlist. We had our own jokes and emojis. Through these small interactions, I really felt connected to this group of people. 

Being a part of the "swaggiest homies" was truly an impactful part of my BWSI experience. I'd never known the importance of "good morning" until it became a ritual, a constant and friendly greeting, the feeling that we're going through this experience together. I watched as we faced challenges together - those of waking up, of struggling through code - and the fun moments, the drama, the laughter, a variety of emotions.

If I had to pick a highlight from the time I spent in this community, I'd definitely choose the night we played Gartic Phone in VC. I had never laughed that hard in a while, and from the inside jokes to Mehdi's unexpected descriptions, it was an enjoyable experience that stood out to me.

Although the "swaggiest homies" remain dear to me, the big BWSI server and my classmates had an impact on me as well. By the end of the program, the big server had grown to 200 members, and although I didn't connect as closely, I had some fun and meaningful conversations and some interesting game nights. It felt both comforting and exciting to be in an environment with students like me that I could connect with.

Despite the many awkward silences of my remote sensing class, I still felt a sense of community around my peers. By organizing and participating in game nights, it was fun to enjoy a game with them, chatting and building relationships. 

Although community was certainly the biggest part of the experience for me, the knowledge I gained from this program was also very useful. It was fun creating an object from motion, watching as the dots formed a 3D object. The satellite imagery maps were also very intriguing, analyzing data from around the world and analyzing their differences. Finally, the grind during the final project, although painful and tiring, was certainly a rewarding experience. It just felt good working so hard and getting the task done!

Looking back on the program, I wished that I had participated more in my class. I could've asked more questions to the variety of guest speakers we had, and I wish I had held more game nights for my class. But overall, I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to do this course.

Even as the conversation fades, our lives move on, and BWSI grows faint in the face of college and the future, I hope to stay in touch with this unique group of people that brought laughter, comfort, and community during these short four weeks.