Undergraduate / Cornell REU Summer Program-Educational background,Goals,Computer skills,Scientific interet [2]

Prompt:An important part of this application process is a letter (<800 words) in which you should describe
your educational background, goals, computer skills, and scientific interests. The letter should contain any additional information you consider relevant to the evaluation of your potential for success as a participant in this program.

I remember as a child constantly telling my mother that I wanted to be a NASA scientist one day. As I grew older the ambitions I had for myself as a child faded, and the faith I had in myself turned into fear of failure. Just like many others going into their teenage years, I became rebellious and didn't pay much attention to the importance of education. However, all of that changed when I became a junior in high school, and one teacher's faith in me sparked my love for learning once again. My perspective on my future and education changed, and I realized how every move I make would affect the outcome of my future career.

From then on, I was worried of where I wanted to head career-wise. All I knew was that I loved math but wanted to go beyond, use math with a purpose. What better way to do that then physics? Physics was very interesting and challenging. I was also taking an astronomy class, and the vast unknown beyond the Earth still intrigued me. Going into college, I had no specific major and started with general studies. However that one memory still replayed in my mind every time I tried to figure out what career path to take; I decided I would stop being afraid. I decided to pursue a major in physics with a minor in math and astronomy and do my thesis in astrophysics to earn a PhD. I am now currently a sophomore-junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and although it has been a tough road, I can't imagine choosing any other path for my future career.

I have already taken a variety of physics classes ranging from modern physics, to mathematical physics, to classical mechanics, and with many more still to come. My background in astronomy and astrophysics has just begun to expand. The only class I have specifically taken for astronomy was in high school. Any other information pertaining to astronomy and astrophysics I have learned on my own through books, educational shows, and the Internet. However, I am finally getting the chance to take Fundamentals of Astronomy at the university I attend this 2014 spring semester. I plan on taking other classes that will benefit my future research in astrophysics.

Among this spring semester I will also be doing undergraduate research, although not in the field of astrophysics. The research will be pertaining to the modeling and theoretical calculations of quasicrystals to be applied to material science. I found this to be a great opportunity to improve my computer skills. As of now my skills consist of programs in Microsoft Office. However, I am taking a Fortran programming class and will be learning others during my undergraduate research like MATLAB and Python. These computer skills will be of great use in astrophysics and astronomy and research involved in Cornell's REU summer program.

Participating in the astronomy and astrophysics research program at Cornell University will help me gain the knowledge needed to further my education in the field and help me decide what astrophysics topic to choose for my thesis in graduate school. Not only will I experience doing actual research, it could possibly open doors to other future internships or jobs. Being guided by an experienced professor would also be a great privilege. Learning what they know and taking any advice that will benefit the choices I make for my future career would be very useful.

The passion I have for the mysteries of the universe has driven me to continue pursuing my degree in physics and be a part of research in astronomy and astrophysics in whichever way or place that may be. As of now I am most interested in cosmology and the combination of particle physics and hope to learn more it. From the research projects listed at Cornell University I found the search for Cosmic Superstrings and Computer Visualization of black holes from Supercomputer Simulations very interesting. The research projects being offered at Cornell University will bring me one step closer to being a part of great discoveries, further explorations, and publications that will take this generation a step further on the many unanswered question of how the universe began and understanding the many things that fill and make up outer space.

I Will return the favor! Thanks :D

Scholarship / Society of Physics Students; extracurricular activities [4]

Describe your participation in extracurricular activities.
What have you learned from your experience(s)?
(Examples may include: community service, volunteer work, employment, school clubs, sports, family, church, etc.)

Since enrolling in college most of my time for extracurricular activities has gone to working to pay for my tuition. Any involving volunteer work was mostly done when I was in high school. However, I was able to join an organization last spring semester, the Society of Physics Students, at the school I currently attend, The University of Texas at San Antonio. I have kept up with meetings since then, and love being surrounded with other students that are also majoring in physics. Each of these different activities has taught me different things that have been beneficial.

The first job I acquired was my junior year in high school. I started off at a local grocery store and since then have worked at Subway, Wal-Mart, and am now beginning my new job as an undergraduate research student assistant. Working and going to school at the same time can be very challenging but I needed to fund my education. One thing it has taught me is time management. As I have progressed in school, my classes have gotten more difficult and involve a great amount of homework. A job is no excuse not to get my academic work done so I began to schedule my time. I would attend school mostly during the day and begin homework and any reading I needed to get done in between classes. Then I would work mostly afternoons and weekends, so I made sure to start my homework days before it was due to finish on time. Now that I am beginning a job on campus, I should have more time to get any schoolwork done during the weekend but am responsible enough to not procrastinate. Although, work has taken up so much time, I still wanted to be involved in some type of college organization.

I went ahead and joined the Society of Physics Students and have really enjoyed it. There aren't many Physics majors so it only consists of about twenty students. However, that makes the club even better because we are all able to know each other well. The activities we do within the club are setting up different Physics seminars and lunches every Friday with speakers that are working in the physics field, we also come up with different ways to raise money for the organization to go on different trips through out the year, and perform small science projects. Being a part of the organization has greatly improved my people skills and taken me even further in my knowledge of physics. I have learned a lot from the different speakers and various job fields that are open to physics majors. One of my favorites has to be when I met Sir Roger Penrose, a mathematician and physicists currently working on theoretical work in cosmology. Which is the direction I want to take my career in when I begin my research.

Both working and being a part of the Society of Physics Students, have impacted me in different ways. Through work I was able to understand that managing time is very important, especially as you get older. Then by being a part of a club on campus I learned how to interact better with students and enhance my knowledge of physics. These experiences have helped me become more mature.

I will return the favor! Thanks! :)

Undergraduate / My mother always spoke to me about her childhood ; Long/Short term goals/Hispanic heritage [4]

My mother has always spoken to me of her childhood, from roaming the streets of her hometown in Mexico to picking every field imaginable throughout the many countries of the United States. Like many Hispanics in the late nineteenth century my mother and her family received their U.S. citizenship by agreeing to work on farmer's fields. All the stories my mother has told me, have made me appreciate her and my Hispanic heritage even more. My mother continues to work hard to make sure my brother and I never have to go through what she did growing up. Moving from state to state, working twelve-hour shifts picking fields, and struggling from lack of money. The goals I have set for myself are not only from passion but to make my mother and every other Hispanic family that has struggled for their chance of opportunity in the United States, proud. With out their hard work I would not have the opportunity to pursue my dreams in the field of physics.

The one memory that has consistently replayed itself in my mind is, me as a child telling my mother that I was going to be a NASA scientist one day. Every choice I have made academically and for my future has been driven by that memory. Since I was a child the vast unknown that surrounds the Earth has always intrigued me. My interest in astronomy, with my love for math and science led me to astrophysics. That is how I decided to major in Physics and continue to graduate school for a PhD.

As of now I am still an undergraduate at the University of Texas at San Antonio and plan to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in December of 2015. However, before that I hope to be a part of research programs that will take my knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics a step further. I have already started applying for summer research programs at different observatories and universities for the summer of 2014. These programs will not only help me gain experience but help me decide on a thesis topic in astrophysics for graduate school. My main interests lie in cosmology and the early universe. I hope to gain a better understanding of them through these research programs.

After graduate school I plan on continuing to do research and even follow my childhood dream and apply at NASA. I would be thrilled to be a part of great explorations and discoveries made of the universe. Although, I still want to go further while doing research. I want to go as far as doing research with Sir Roger Penrose or Stephen Hawking, and many other remarkable minds that think beyond Earth's atmosphere. I see no limits. Once I have accomplished my goals I am also considering becoming a physics professor to help and inspire other students to follow their dreams.

The Hispanic heritage that lies in my mother and was passed down to me has encouraged me to work hard for my goals. Accomplishing my goals will prove to the Hispanic community that there is opportunity and anything is possible. I want to show my mother and the Hispanic community that all the years of struggling to help the future Hispanic generations was worth every drop of sweat

Need help improving or correcting, please!