Top 10: Moments with Spencer Snow Chandler

We earned twin degrees in mathematics with minors in laughing (and computer science).

17 July 2025

On Sunday, our friends are throwing a goodbye party for Spencer and I before we move to the east coast and midwest, respectively, to "sell our souls to corporate America." We both graduated with Master's degrees in math this April, and anyone who knows either of us knows that it's only fitting that we would have a conjoined farewell party.

Since our first years at BYU in 2020, we've taken over 80 credit hours of classes together. That's about 25 classes. We were coincidentally put into the same pre-major cohort and consequentially put in the same classes for the entirety of freshman year. After that, we just started taking all of our classes together. Despite our formal training in applied mathematics, we're both going to work for big name companies as Software Developers. What gives?

When I tell others about Spencer, it's rare I need to give any sort of background information. Everyone knows and loves him, and those who have not had the pleasure of being introduced know about his witty comments via my Instagram story. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if we were dating, I could probably afford to decline my return offer and move to DC with him.

He's my best friend!

We love to dance! Specifically to "Sweet but Psycho" or "Primadonna", but we'll take any Pop diva with a fast beat.

While preparing for the move and the farewell party, I've reflected on some of our best moments. Spencer is constantly making me laugh, but he also cares deeply about his friends and their feelings. When we have an argument, he's the first to say "let's talk about this", and then the first to apologize. So while most of these stories are retold because of their comedic value, there's a foundational layer of empathy the shines through in everything Spencer does.

Here's my Spencer Chandler Top 10, in no particular order:

1. Four Square Club. Spencer started a Four Square Club and elected me vice president which basically just meant I had to show up on time so he wasn't the only one there at the beginning. I also sometimes got to be on aux. His commitment to the bit is inspiring.
2. Fortnight We went through a phase where we would throw a party called "FortNight" which basically meant we built a fort and made everyone bring iPads and played Roblox. We checked that people had Roblox downloaded on their phone or iPad before they were allowed to enter. Definitely took it a little too seriously.


FortNight flyer

3. Math 290 Group Quiz.The way Spencer and I went from classmates to friends was no coincidence. He likes to say he "masterminded" it. In our first semester together, our professor assigned a take-home quiz that we were allowed to work on with a group of 2-4 students. Spencer hand-picked me and another kid to do the quiz together (my greatest honor), and the rest is history. After a session of working on the quiz, I met Maggie Dru, who became one of my best friends. Talk about butterfly effect! It is an inspiring tale of budding friendship—its warmth only dimmed by the fact that we got the lowest grade in the class. I would claim irony, but it's honestly pretty fitting. Grateful for the lasting friendships; wish we tried harder on the quiz.
4. Running for Class President. At the beginning of our junior year, Spencer and I ran for ACME Class President and Vice President against one (1) opposing team—and lost. Spencer accused everyone of sexism. At the start of senior year, we debated running again, but couldn't decide if it would be more embarrassing to lose 2 years in a row or to actually win.
5. Woke Final Projects. Our comedic failures in school are not in short supply. At the end of each semester of our senior year, we were tasked with completing a final project with a group of students. Spencer, Jake, Brynn, and I always did our projects together. Being the social justice warriors we are, we nobly opted to do a data science project in mathematically proving the existence of a gender wage gap. The results? Inconclusive. Not a good look for our loud-minority-left-leaning group of future diversity hires. The next semester, we decided to do a project in predicting the length and symptoms of menstrual cycles. Another brazen feat in the yes of our cohort of mostly men. ("You're doing your project on…periods?") The results were again… inconclusive. No problem!! We laughed it off while our right-leaning counterparts held their heads a little higher, probably.
6. Utah Lake. One day Spencer called me and told me to be ready in 5: he was taking me to the lake. I don't remember what I had been complaining to him about that day: boys, a headache, school, being tired. Whatever it was, he told me it was time to take me to the lake to heal me "like how they used to take women to the sea when they had devils in them." We sat in his car at Utah Lake reading books and chatting until I felt better. This story cracks me up every time I tell it, but it also is a testament to how deeply Spencer cares about his friends in a very authentic way.


During his time in Provo, Spencer took advantage of BYU's no-profit t-shirt printing press. He pushed the boundaries of what could be printed at the university-sanctioned press, and got away with more than I would have bet on!

7. Drive home from Santa Clarita in 2025. We've had our fair share of roadtrips to visit our friends in the LA area. This year, we went on a spontaneous trip (20 minutes notice) with Ayla and Mia. All weekend, we marveled at how such an impulsive trip could turn out so flawless. We spoke too soon. On the drive home, a semi-truck oil spill closed down the highway, and we were about 2 hours delayed. Traffic compounded and our total travel time was looking to be upwards of 14 hours. We bickered over whether to stop in Vegas for a quick round of Roulette. Having been friends for so long, we really do argue like siblings ("Fine—no it's FINE.", "Obviously it's really important to you so let's just stop for Roulette.") Tensions were high on that drive. When we stopped at a Wendy's for dinner, Spencer requested we take some alone time and sit at different tables, which we did. Now we look back on that day and laugh.
8. Dynamite. There was about a week during our junior year when I had to send Spencer the homework every day because he would go home from class and play Just Dance for 4-6 hours to try and get the world record for Dynamite. He had no time for homework. And you know what? He beat the world record. Can't hate the hustle.
9. Freshman Orientation. It was a warm August night in 2022 and Sophie, Spencer, and I were looking for something to do. We were right on the cusp of school beginning, still in the unbothered, blissful state that is homework-less-ness. Then, inspiration struck as Spencer suggested that we go to freshman orientation…as juniors (Sophie a rising Senior). And we did! Spencer ended up in some dating contest on stage (?) It honestly was all a blur, and we might have scared some freshman, but I might have never laughed harder. There are cathedrals (Freshman orientations) everywhere for those (non-Freshmen) with the eyes to see.


Spencer on stage at freshman orientation

10. Cosmos Kitties. Spencer captained and coached a very successful intramural inner tube water polo team, Cosmos Kitties. I had the honor of being on the inaugural team, from which I was swiftly cut before the next season. No prob, I was better as a cheerleader! He has a unique way of bringing people together in the funniest ways: obscure intramural sports, oddly-specific party themes, even school assignments. Put simply: he lives, he loves, he laughs. I'm grateful to have been in his circle during my time at BYU—it has made it all the better.


We graduated together! Twice! Laughing of course.

I'll end it here before I wax too sappy and melodramatic. Spencer is one of my best friends, and my college experience would be fundamentally and exponentially different without him.

Love you!