When Andrew Spencer and SuLing Llanes-Trexler met, it wasn’t quite a meet-cute.
The fourth-year students at the University of Virginia met while working in the UVA Library’s Digital Production Group. Although their supervisor, Rob Smith, nudged Spencer to introduce himself, their friendship took time to develop.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I thought she was just a mean, quiet little person,” Spencer, a computer science major from Chesterfield, said.
“I thought he was really quiet and maybe a little mean, just because sometimes he’s very brief with what he says,” Llanes-Trexler said.
Llanes-Trexler and Spencer pose for a photo outside Shannon Library. When they first met in the library’s basement, they didn’t exactly hit it off. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
Each of them discovered their first impressions were wrong: “He ended up being very funny,” Llanes-Trexler, an elementary education major, said.
Spencer enrolled at the University because it offered him the best financial aid. Llanes-Trexler, the daughter of an alumnus, knew she wanted to go to UVA since she was in second grade. She grew up in Mechanicsville, about an hour away from Charlottesville, so UVA was an obvious choice.
“I went to a UVA basketball game against Georgia Tech, and it was just like, ‘Oh, UVA,’” Llanes-Trexler remembered.
She started her UVA journey at UVA’s College at Wise before transferring to the University in Charlottesville. The College at Wise allows students with 30 credit hours and a GPA of 3.0 or higher to transfer directly to UVA without filling out a separate application. Shortly after arriving on Grounds, she started working in the Digital Production Group, where Spencer was already a student supervisor, as a work-study job.
Spencer sings karaoke at Durty Nelly’s in Charlottesville’s Fry’s Spring neighborhood. (Contributed photo)
She and Spencer formed a friendship over the iPhone app GamePigeon, which lets users play games like poker and pool through the messaging platform.
“After 30-plus games, I just won, so it stopped being fun for her,” Spencer said.
But their friendship carries into the offline world, too. Spencer and Llanes-Trexler have bonded over music.
Before coming to college, Llanes-Trexler had never been to a concert. Llanes-Trexler suggested they go see the rapper Future together in Washington.
“Honestly, we paid way too much money for it,” Llanes-Trexler said.
Still, it didn’t hinder their friendship too much – maybe because a few weeks later, they went to see Childish Gambino and Tyler, The Creator together, who exceeded their expectations. They still regularly go to concerts together and have picked up a karaoke habit along the way.
Llanes Trexler says she usually beats Spencer when they play basketball. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
At the urging of a coworker in the Digital Production Group, they started going to Durty Nelly’s, a dive bar owned by a UVA alumnus, on Wednesday nights for karaoke. For weeks, Llanes-Trexler and Spencer merely watched.
“I’m not really the type of person to go up on stage,” Spencer said.
But after some cajoling, Spencer put his name on the list to perform.
“One of the earliest ones I can remember doing is ‘Gold Digger’ (by Kanye West),” Spencer said. “It’s an easy one, because people will start singing along with you.”
Since then, it’s become a tradition for the pair. Spencer performs songs by rappers like Kendrick Lamar, and Llanes-Trexler cheers him on.
