I Am a Researcher

My mom always instilled one philosophy within me, and that was to "Never Settle." In this case, that philosophy was and still is one of the driving factors of achieving my dream of becoming an Astrophysicist. So, going into college, I was pretty excited about getting involved. I cold emailed, met with a number of professors and read through numerous papers to find where I felt like I'd belong. Eventually, I was taken under Dr.Javier Duarte for my first ever research experience where I began learning the ropes eventually growing into the researcher I am today.

What has been the most exciting/interesting thing you've discovered through your research?

In all honesty, I haven't made new discoveries just yet. My hope is to do so by the time I finish undergrad though so don't count me out! With that being said though, I think the coolest things I've done were observations at Palomar Observatory during my time at Caltech. We did observations from 6PM - 5AM! It was a really fun, and tiring experience that I'd 100% do again!

What did you gain from this program/experience?

So far within McNair, I've already been able to meet a number of wonderful and supportive individuals within research. From career advice, to other friends who are also in the program, it's truly the community that I've been looking for. To see others who are just so passionate about their field around me is really inspiring and heartwarming!

What advice would you give to students starting research?

You are awesome and you need to carry yourself as such. Send out the cold email, stay after class and ask about a professor's research, look up internships, people you want to work with and read their papers, be "too much." I could only imagine the amount of amazing minds that never gave themselves a chance because of doubt and fear. If you're passionate about going into research, as in that feeling is brewing from deep inside of you, let it run free. That's what'll get you through the long nights, that's what'll get you into these labs and that's what'll push you to keep going in whatever career field you choose.

What are your future plans?

In the future, I aim to do a number of things. First and foremost, I'going to become an Astrophysicist after obtaining my PhD, ideally dealing with High Energy Astrophysics at NASA. My next future plan involves where I came from, being a San Diego native. At an early age, my mom faced homelessness while she had me. I was never supposed to be in the position that I'm in and it's all thanks to my mom and a large number of people who believed in me within my life. I want to give back more that was given to me. So, within my career, I aim to start a non-profit that brings science to less fortunate communities. It's a duty of mine if you will, because what a tragedy it would be if we miss out on the next Doctor, Astrophysicist, Chemist, Biologist, or whomever!

Pictures