For as long as I can remember, burning questions regarding the “bigger picture” have pierced my skull and occupied my mind. Many nights, I lie awake puzzled by the beautiful and daunting nature of the intricately woven night sky. I can’t help but ponder the vast, enigmatic elements put on display throughout our Artist’s creation ‒— the creation we call the Universe. Deep within the minds of intelligence lies a singular conviction intent on decoding the natural landscape to solve the “biggest puzzle.” Night-time serves as our reminder to evoke curiosity’s thirst. The shimmering lights cast down from the heavens awaken a spirit of child-like wonder and discovery, yet thoughts of frailty and insignificance reverberate throughout my head incessantly. While living for only 6,205 Earth rotatory periods, most would consider me young; however, I have accumulated a vast network of knowledge pertaining to societal and worldly concepts. Still, I remain in a state of a pupa, and my only hope for metamorphosis is in seeking answers. Answers to the questions that arise from the “outer world.” Answers to the questions that have plagued man since the dawn of our species. Where better to begin my search than a university surrounded by other thinkers dedicated to exploring these very questions? I desire a glimpse into the true essence of our existence and to be a life-long pupil, studying under the greatest teacher of all: nature itself. The first step in my progress was marked by my decision to enroll in community college as a high school sophomore. Now as I enter my senior year and second year of undergraduate study, I realize the scale and quality of the education I received in my previous year. I familiarized myself with concepts ranging from infinitesimal rates of change, the essence of calculus, to the mechanics and properties of reality, in the spectrum of classical and modern physics, and so much more. I can feel the eager spirit of curiosity seeping out of me and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to explore my future in academia. In the coming years, I hope to finish my undergraduate study with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Mechanical Engineering and Physics/Applied Mathematics. Afterwards, I would like to continue my academic voyage by completing a graduate program for Cosmology and Astrophysics. If I am to answer the questions posed by myself and my fellow man, the Roger Boston Scholarship will help me get to where I need to go. Economic uncertainty has undoubtedly kept some bright minds from ever entering the collegiate space, and I implore you to not let another one slip through the cracks. I can’t be certain if I can provide something of note to humanity, but I will not give up. In the end, I can only hope to look back on my life and smile knowing I’ve contributed something. The endeavor for truth is everlasting, but only if we continue to fuel the fires of curiosity.

A blood-pumped heart and a nerve-impulsed brain are the key components for human life, and existence, as we comprehend it, is the most valuable possession that one is granted; I never realized the worth of the brain, or the heart, or the human presence until I lost my father. The date to the start of my father’s arduous journey was May 30, 2020: the day he was diagnosed with stage-four gastric cancer. His prognosis presented my family with two options: start chemotherapy in the hopes of gaining a year or stay content with six months; in the end, we went forward with the upper, but the therapy took to no avail. After continuous rounds, time took its toll and left my day-one hero in a collection of skin and bones — he was a corpse; the man that I idolized had utterly deteriorated in both mind and body. Months passed, and before I was able to fathom the reality, I was perched over my father’s expiring frame where I pleaded to anyone to just let him rest; I was unable to watch his suffering any longer. At last, the day finally dawned; on November 19th, I had risen to cries of sorrow along with irrevocable words — “he is gone.” A surge of emotions then hit me with the impact of a speeding car moving along the interstate: shock came first, along with frustration, and ended with relief and grief. Eventually, these emotions subsided and left me with only my thoughts. Today, I still struggle with digesting the bits and pieces of the event. If I am ready or not, I will have to adapt to his absence. In any case, I will never forget my father and his teachings, and I will continue living for the both of us.