“Your generosity gives us the ability to think, learn, and live with a freedom that we can hardly describe or ever thank you for in full.”
How did your summer experiences clarify your career or academic interests (for example, a Metcalf internship or research opportunity)?
Over the summer, I was involved with research as part of the University of Chicago’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the opportunity represented the first time I was able to gain legitimate exposure to my field of study. The work I was able to do greatly strengthened both my interest and commitment to my academic pursuits. This research opportunity was effectively and undoubtedly the foundation of what I hope to be a long career in a field I may have otherwise not have had direct involvement in for many more years to come.
Please describe how you are choosing your course of study. Have there been clarifying moments in your Core classes or particularly inspiring professors who are helping identify your academic passions?
Ironically enough, it was my Core Humanities and Philosophy professor, Marcello Barison, that provided me with the most enlightening moments of my collegiate career thus far, even as they pertain to my own course of study. While exploring the depths of everything from classical to post-modern philosophy was among the greatest academic experiences I’ve had, it was actually Marcello’s inclusion of physics and the reality of perception and empirical study that allowed me to extend the class beyond its intended scope and use what I learned for both introspection and to evaluate my own potential concentration, soon learning that the philosophical treatments that were being posed in class were the same intellectual phenomena that sparked my interest in astrophysics altogether.
What activities are you involved with outside the classroom?
Outside of the classroom, I am a member of the Society of Physics Students and the Ryerson Astronomical Society. I am also a very strong advocate of mental health awareness and student support groups, and I’m looking forward to getting involved with multiple organizations on campus and beyond that look to improve the overall well-being of individuals in a college setting.
If you could speak directly to the person whose gift supported your scholarship, what would you say?
Your contributions have a truly indescribable impact upon the students to whom they benefit; the gift you have provided allows us to gain exposure to academic opportunities that we may have seldom been able to experience otherwise, but perhaps the greatest contribution is the fact that these scholarships allow us to breathe and use our time to truly get to know ourselves and our interests, and to grow as humans and young adults, instead of being constrained to a certain path or lifestyle due to financial restrictions. Your generosity gives us the ability to think, learn, and live with a freedom that we can hardly describe or ever thank you for in full, and I will always appreciate what you have done for myself and countless others at this university.
