Carlos Cartagena
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My name is Carlos Cartagena. Currently, I am a senior dual major at West Chester University of Pennsylvania studying Physics and Mathematics.
I have traveled a long road to come this close to obtaining my two Bachelor degrees, and the road will not end there. My life goal is to understand the universe we live in. As such, I plan on continuing my education.
My next milestone is obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics at Bryn Mawr College.
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Although my main goal is to understand the universe we live in, I do intend to teach. For what is the point of learning without passing the acquired information down to the cadres of science of the generations to come. It would be satisfying to understand the universe, but truth be told the time where anyone completely understands the universe is far from sight.
Even though my life is devoted to understanding the universe, I do acknowledge the fact that I will not achieve this goal. Then why reach for this goal? Why would I devote my life reaching out to the unknown with the intent of uncovering its secrets if I know that the depth of this abyss is far greater than my mind can fathom? The answers to this question even elude my mind, and I am the one devoting my life...
This depressing fact has made me question how I view everyone else. A person can only hold so much, but if people gather together then more can be held. In fact, a person can only live so long thus obtaining a limited amount of erudition. Assuming that each can obtain knowledge at the same rate, have an endless capacity of knowledge, and have a interest of their own, then it is possible for humanity as a whole to understand the universe. This is assuming that the lore of the universe is finite.
How can human kind encourage each other to pursue knowledge in the first place, let alone the sciences? This is truly a complicated question because the individual's mind must be considered and we know close to nothing about the human mind. Nevertheless we publish our progress, we engage the public in outreach programs, and we educate through school systems with the goal of encouraging others. I believe teaching is the best method to encourage the pursuit of knowledge, because it combines the other two, publishing and outreach programs. Teaching serves two purposes to pass down acquired lore of the universe and to engage the public in the pursuit of enlightenment. That is the reason I have decided to become an educator, to pass down my level of understanding and help produce the next generation of cadres of science.