It was chilly at 3 a.m. that Wednesday morning, but it wasn’t the cool autumn breeze that caused a tingle to run down my spine. Saturn was the true culprit: a world seven-hundred times larger than our own with the most spectacular ring system in the entire solar system. This tingle was entirely different from the one caused by a bump in the night, the bitter taste of a sour candy, or even the excitement before a big game. This was the tingle of a sudden realization. Carl Sagan once said, “Astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience,” and it was in this very moment, during a single tingle, that I completely resonated with and understood Sagan’s classic quote. Pulling my eye from the telescope, I remember standing there thinking, “I am tiny.” Now that I reflect on it, twelve year old me was probably experiencing an existential crisis of sorts. That overwhelming feeling of insignificance pulled my mind in every direction imaginable. But, it was this feeling of insignificance that ultimately made the experience humbling. Little did my mother, who was asleep in the living room awaiting my planet hunting session to come to an end, know that her son had just then and there decided to dedicate the rest of his life to research in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Not only did that morning lead to such a large proclamation, but it also encouraged me to encourage others in every aspect of life. I wanted to, and still want to, open the eyes of everyone else blinded by the illusion that they are more significant than others, or that others are more significant than them. Astronomy will slap you across the face until you understand that you are no more important than anyone else around you, and it is only with that understanding you will notice each and every person is an individual on their very own path. Each and every person is their own individual self, facing their own hardships, learning their own life lessons, and trying to figure out what this thing we call life really means. With this new found point of view, I set out on a quest to bring out the best in others. Whether it has been helping peers with schoolwork, tutoring younger kids, partaking in the hobbies of friends, or trying to educate the public on astronomy through social media, it has all been in a bid to make the world a better place. A place where every person is in a position to achieve their goals and set out on their respective life paths with confidence. If Sagan wasn’t proven correct by somebody else, then he was proven correct by me, even if I’m the only one that knows it for a fact. It is truly mind boggling to think that a telescope, and a pinprick of light in the early morning sky, was enough to turn a twelve year old boy into what I have, and will continue, to become. As I’ve further matured, both physically and academically, I’ve come to the realization that there is a lot to understand and a lot of people that don’t understand that. Scientific literacy is a real concern among the general public. I hope to one day play a part in a “scientific awakening” of the common man. Too many people know nothing of the science going on around them, while the entirety of their life is dependent upon it. This leads to a not very promising future for mankind. After earning a PhD in astrophysics, I will take a research position at a national lab like NASA’s JPL, or a private corporation such as SpaceX. Eventually, I will settle down in a professorship or as a science communicator. Because, although there is value in contributing to the field yourself through research, the real value comes from sharing the newfound science with the public, and inspiring that next generation of youthful minds that will continue the research for years to come.

It was chilly at 3 a.m. that Wednesday morning, but it wasn’t the cool autumn breeze that caused a tingle to run down my spine. Saturn was the true culprit: a world seven-hundred times larger than our own with the most spectacular ring system in the entire solar system. This tingle was entirely different from the one caused by a bump in the night, the bitter taste of a sour candy, or even the excitement before a big game. This was the tingle of a sudden realization. Carl Sagan once said, “Astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience,” and it was in this very moment, during a single tingle, that I completely resonated with and understood Sagan’s classic quote. Pulling my eye from the telescope, I remember standing there thinking, “I am tiny.” Now that I reflect on it, twelve year old me was probably experiencing an existential crisis of sorts. That overwhelming feeling of insignificance pulled my mind in every direction imaginable. But, it was this feeling of insignificance that ultimately made the experience humbling. Little did my mother, who was asleep in the living room awaiting my planet hunting session to come to an end, know that her son had just then and there decided to dedicate the rest of his life to research in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Not only did that morning lead to such a large proclamation, but it also encouraged me to encourage others in every aspect of life. I realized that each and every person is their own individual self, facing their own hardships, learning their own life lessons, and trying to figure out what this thing we call life really means. With this new found point of view, I set out on a quest to bring out the best in others. Whether it has been helping peers with schoolwork, tutoring younger kids, partaking in the hobbies of friends, or trying to educate the public on astronomy through social media, it has all been in a bid to make the world a better place. A place where every person is in a position to achieve their goals and set out on their respective life paths with confidence. If Sagan wasn’t proven correct by somebody else, then he was proven correct by me, even if I’m the only one that knows it for a fact. It is truly mind boggling to think that a telescope, and a pinprick of light in the early morning sky, was enough to turn a twelve year old boy into what I have, and will continue, to become. As I’ve further matured, both physically and academically, I’ve come to the realization that there is a lot to understand and a lot of people that don’t understand that. Scientific literacy is a real concern among the general public. I hope to one day play a part in a “scientific awakening” of the common man. Too many people know nothing of the science going on around them, while the entirety of their life is dependent upon it. This leads to a not very promising future for mankind. After earning a PhD in astrophysics, I will take a research position at a national lab like NASA’s JPL, or a private corporation such as SpaceX. Eventually, I will settle down in a professorship or as a science communicator. Because, although there is value in contributing to the field yourself through research, the real value comes from sharing the newfound science with the public, and inspiring that next generation of youthful minds that will continue the research for years to come.