Ah, the sounds of summer. The splash of the swimming pool. The crack of the baseball bat. The sizzle of grilling burgers. And, of course, the alluring melody of the snoball truck coming down the street.
Rachael Nock remembers that tune's effect on her as a little kid.
"It was so exciting. You heard the music coming and you were like: 'Mom! Mom! I need money,' and I'd run out," she said, laughing. "Definitely good memories of the ice-cream truck."
Now Nock, 17 and a senior this fall at Severn, is the Pied Piper of summer, bringing sweet treats to kids of all ages around Severna Park, driving a snoball truck for Go-Melbo, which covers Anne Arundel County and also has trucks in Ocean City.
When Nock started looking for a summer job, a friend who drove for the same company suggested she try it. The flexible hours were a big plus, fitting nicely with her Maryland United Lacrosse Club practices and frequent weekend tournaments, said Nock, who also plays soccer at Severn and has committed orally to play lacrosse for New Hampshire.
After learning to make snoballs — her favorite is egg custard — and, more importantly, receiving instruction on how to drive safely with so many children around, Nock is off on her designated beat for the rest of the summer. She makes regular stops at pools and other places where children gather, but she mostly tours a regular neighborhood route.
"It's really fun. It's so relaxed, and that was what I was looking for this summer. I didn't want a job that I despised. It's the best of both worlds. I can go out and be in the nice weather and just drive around. It's so gratifying seeing the kids so happy. People are running out of their house, calling: 'Wait! Wait!' I just love it."
However, Nock might have to keep an eye on her truck for one particular stowaway — brother Sam, who is 9 and wild about his big sister's new job.
Selena Guerrero-Martin, Poly
Cross country, swimming, lacrosse
Selena Guerrero-Martin is getting a jump on her plans to become a doctor by doing research in biomedical engineering this summer at Johns Hopkins.
The Poly senior's project, through the Ingenuity Project for accelerated math and science study, involves testing her own theory for correcting keratoconus, a disorder of the cornea that can lead to blindness. She will test a hydrogel that is liquid when injected but becomes more solid when polymerized or exposed to light and, she hopes, will correct the curvature distortion caused by the disorder and restore vision.
"It was just a really good opportunity to do something different, to make a difference," she said. "Part of the reason I want to be a doctor is I really like to help people, and this was kind of a first step, kind of to prep me for that. It's a really good experience."
Working at the lab fits in nicely, too, with Guerrero-Martin's plans to visit such colleges as MIT, Princeton and Carnegie Mellon as well as her early-morning swim practice with the Retriever Aquatic Club and lacrosse practice a few nights a week with her Ravens club team.
Darius Jennings, Gilman
Football, basketball, track and field
A lot of college football scouts have looked at Darius Jennings over the past year, and now he's scouting their programs.
The summer before his senior year means more college visits for the highly recruited Gilman quarterback, rated the No. 2 player in Maryland by Rivals.com. A first-team All-Metro selection who can play many positions, Jennings has been to such schools as Maryland, Rutgers, Iowa, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, with trips planned to Ohio State and Virginia Tech, among others.
He's looking for a program where he won't have to wait long to play, as well as a school where he can get an education to carry him beyond his football years. Jennings also will be in the Gilman weight room and will play a few seven-on-seven tournaments. A family trip to a Virginia resort will give him a break, but not for long.
"It's always nice to relax," Jennings said, "but this is a big part of my life, which college I choose to go to, so I'm just taking it all in. I'm thankful to have the opportunity."
Maura Linde, Century
Cross country, indoor track, track and field
Maura Linde will be on the run this summer. One of the area's premier distance runners since her freshman year at Century, she is working hard to be even better in her senior year.
An eight-time individual state champion and an eight-time All-Metro first-team selection, Linde is no slave to mileage, aiming to run about 45 minutes a day with a couple of longer runs each week. She will also spend time in the weight room, cross-train with swimming and biking, and go to a couple of running camps.
