Ad Astra:

Ad astra: To the stars… That’s been my motto since I first discovered the phrase years ago. It’s not surprising that the phrase seemed to pop off the page when I came across it; it’s always been my dream to go to the stars. I remember those annoying motivational posters that every teacher seemed to hang up in their classroom — messages like, “Your mind is like a parachute. It works best when open.” — that usually seemed quite childish. I’m sure most of you can recall them. One poster, however, did seem to charm me: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” I suppose I’ve taken that message to heart, always aiming for the cosmic heavens above hoping to one day find my purpose in this universe.

But enough about that deep stuff. First off, hello! My name is Michael and I am a second-year student at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech. I am an Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science double major and am minoring in Astronomy and Mathematics. You may ask why in the world I would major and minor in so many things — even somewhat unrelated things — and my answer to you would be in the form of yet another quote: “To you, the sky is the limit. To me, it’s just the beginning.” You see, I’ve always hungered for knowledge. And while the causes of the Great War may be an intriguing thing to know, I’m really talking about such things like why the universe is the way it is, how the universe works, and what got us here in the first place to ask such questions. I am a scientist, but also a philosopher. I simply enjoy learning and pondering, and that is why my studies are so broad.

Now you must be wondering why I’m so passionate about space exploration, astronomy, computers, math, physics, and all that jazz; after all, that is what this blog is all about. Well, since as long as I can recall, I have looked up at the sky each night and felt at home. The stars in their multitude seemed to reach out to me, providing comfort when this world could not. Before long these cosmos became a fascination of mine; everything ’space’ became my interest. In fact, the first Christmas present that I can remember getting as a child was a toy NASA space shuttle. Although my grandmother gave me that present when I was four-years-old and when I had yet to learn about my soon-to-be-obsession, I recollect that moment as a foreshadowing gesture. In the following years, I encompassed myself with books of astronomy and all things related. I recall checking out every astronomy book in my library, three books at a time, during middle school. I simply loved reading about the heavenly bodies, astronautical vehicles, and anything else outside our atmosphere. As time went on, I became introduced to the mission of NASA and their aspirations.  Only at the start of my senior year of high school, however, did I discover the career that I was destined to pursue — an aerospace engineer. At that point, it was quite clear to me that I was to become a part of NASA’s mission, devoting myself to pioneering the future in space exploration and scientific discovery.

At the same time, I have had the computer at my fingertips since I developed my fine motor skills as a toddler. I guess I was one of the first to be born in the generation where computers were a standard luxury for the household. Naturally I learned the ins and outs of the computer just like you would know your best friend. By the age of ten I was already making websites and teaching myself HTML. During my high school years, I took classes in advanced web development, graphic design, Visual Basic, C++, and Java (an independent study). Not surprisingly, these classes were the ones I looked forward to each day and loved having. (Math and science classes were, too, but there was a sense of pride in knowing not many others were so programming-savvy.) After walking away from high school with a vast knowledge in programming and a strong aptitude for it, I debated with myself whether computer science (or, more specifically, software engineering) was what I should pursue. Even today I find myself contending between aerospace engineering and computer science, but for now I believe I am on the right path. If I’m lucky, hopefully I’ll find myself involved with both fields in my career (i.e., writing the code for the next space probe).

So obviously throughout these years, with my interests lying in both aerospace and programming, I have dedicated myself to furthering my knowledge in science and mathematics. Even before I took my first physics class, I was picking up physics textbooks for leisurely reading. Up until about my junior year of high school, I really had no true friends with whom to occupy my time. Instead, I found myself engulfed by my academics and befriending my vivid imagination. It was these years that made me who I am today and it was these years that molded my future. I was to intertwine science and the beauty of the Universe.