beast001
Nov 19, 2013
Undergraduate / Astronomy, Academics, and the Loon; U California / World you come from [2]
I am immensely fortunate to have entered a world saturated in academic vitality, astronomic inquiry, and information availability, the prospects of which far exceed those foreseen by the visionaries of the past. With the pursuit of knowledge that has proven itself not only prevalent but cardinal to modern society, and I am determined to expand my understanding of these disciplines by surrounding myself with company that shares a common vivacity for education and exposing myself to the communities involved.
After arriving for freshman year of high school, the first public school in my life, I realized my understanding of society and its culture on a global level were limited. Unlike George Washington, my second cousin eight times removed, I have not traveled the country in which I lived. Knowing that I needed to take advantage of the opportunities surrounding me, I decided to travel as frequently as possible with my Boy Scout Troop. Through scouting, overflowing with down time to admire the marvels of nature, my love for astronomy flourished. Visiting observational outposts like the Griffith J. Griffith Observatory, learning about the universe that beckons exploration and discovery, and witnessing glimmering meteors fall from origins light years away, taught me about the common bond that exists between humanity. The bond, a shared awe and fear of the vastness of nature, connects civilizations through time and space and challenges us to collaborate with one another while we are given the opportunity to do so.
The realization that authentic academic success can never be achieved without a genuine passion for the subject matter has defined the way I view my education. The original intent of education, while also seemingly eight times removed, was to advance the productivity and lifestyle of humanity. By this I mean that, in Calculus, after years of education in mathematics, I am now able to, using derivatives, maximize the area of an enclosed space with a finite amount of resources. The benefits of such a tool are easily apparent; however this goal is not usually explained to students learning Algebra.
Knowing my goal throughout education was to be able to work with technology that maximized utility, I have constantly strived to prepare myself with the prerequisites necessary to do so. From my certification in Photoshop to designing web pages for real-world companies, I knew that the science of computers was an area I wanted to study. With the advancement of technology and it's becoming an essential aspect of contemporary society, and a need to supply this demand is continuing to grow. While I do not have a specific title in mind, a dream of mine is to work with Google's "Loon for All" project, whose goal is to give internet access to the entire world. While it seems like a lofty goal, there are many benefits to the technological advancement of nations, and I plan to be a part of this growth.
The prompt is: describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Any comments, suggestions, or other input is greatly appreciated!
I am immensely fortunate to have entered a world saturated in academic vitality, astronomic inquiry, and information availability, the prospects of which far exceed those foreseen by the visionaries of the past. With the pursuit of knowledge that has proven itself not only prevalent but cardinal to modern society, and I am determined to expand my understanding of these disciplines by surrounding myself with company that shares a common vivacity for education and exposing myself to the communities involved.
After arriving for freshman year of high school, the first public school in my life, I realized my understanding of society and its culture on a global level were limited. Unlike George Washington, my second cousin eight times removed, I have not traveled the country in which I lived. Knowing that I needed to take advantage of the opportunities surrounding me, I decided to travel as frequently as possible with my Boy Scout Troop. Through scouting, overflowing with down time to admire the marvels of nature, my love for astronomy flourished. Visiting observational outposts like the Griffith J. Griffith Observatory, learning about the universe that beckons exploration and discovery, and witnessing glimmering meteors fall from origins light years away, taught me about the common bond that exists between humanity. The bond, a shared awe and fear of the vastness of nature, connects civilizations through time and space and challenges us to collaborate with one another while we are given the opportunity to do so.
The realization that authentic academic success can never be achieved without a genuine passion for the subject matter has defined the way I view my education. The original intent of education, while also seemingly eight times removed, was to advance the productivity and lifestyle of humanity. By this I mean that, in Calculus, after years of education in mathematics, I am now able to, using derivatives, maximize the area of an enclosed space with a finite amount of resources. The benefits of such a tool are easily apparent; however this goal is not usually explained to students learning Algebra.
Knowing my goal throughout education was to be able to work with technology that maximized utility, I have constantly strived to prepare myself with the prerequisites necessary to do so. From my certification in Photoshop to designing web pages for real-world companies, I knew that the science of computers was an area I wanted to study. With the advancement of technology and it's becoming an essential aspect of contemporary society, and a need to supply this demand is continuing to grow. While I do not have a specific title in mind, a dream of mine is to work with Google's "Loon for All" project, whose goal is to give internet access to the entire world. While it seems like a lofty goal, there are many benefits to the technological advancement of nations, and I plan to be a part of this growth.
The prompt is: describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Any comments, suggestions, or other input is greatly appreciated!