It was just another car ride home with my brother; I was the curious freshman asking difficult questions to the knowledgeable senior. Topic of the night: viruses. It seemed almost unfair, how viruses could inject their DNA into target cells and exploit them as host cells. I inquired further, “But Kevin, what if scientists could actually reprogram these viruses to artificially alter genomes?” He paused. “Hm … never thought of that.

My first real encounters with physics were in Year 9 (the United Kingdom equivalent of 8th grade). It was here that my passion for the subject was sparked, thanks to my teacher at the time: Mr. Andrew Brittain. His immense enthusiasm rubbed off on me. Two of his lessons, in particular, are imprinted in my memory. One was devoted entirely to particle physics and in the second, he discussed quantum tunnelling.

The inspiration for this project really comes from my undying love of music, and my inkling for finding scientific explanations for everything. My volunteering experiences especially inspired how I undertook this project. I’ve been volunteering as a music therapist in places like our local science museum as well as schools in India using my drumming. I’ve noticed that drums are very effective at reducing stress, improving motor skills, and focus-related tasks for children in particular, yet when it comes to professional auditory therapy, drums are neglected in favor of synthesized compositions like binaural beats.

As a rising freshman, I participated in the Optics Science Olympiad event. The experimental portion of the event particularly interested me. Given several optical devices, I was tasked with designing and executing an experiment that demonstrated a concept such as dispersion or refraction. This experience sparked my interest in optics. I volunteered as an assistant coach for the event in high school, where I gained a deeper understanding of the field through teaching others.

I was just 10 years old when Hurricane Irene hit New York and 11 years old when Hurricane Sandy hit. I witnessed these storms ravage my community first-hand, and I remember hearing of my cousin’s house flooding in nearby Long Beach, New York. She was forced to uproot and relocate elsewhere temporarily. These storms wreaked havoc; I was out of school for more than a week, and many of my neighbors went without electricity for many days.

From the time I picked up Basher Science’s Physics: Why Matter Matters! in third grade, understanding how the most fundamental physical processes create the reality of our universe has wholly fascinated me. The ability to mathematically and scientifically explain why something happens, from a single subatomic interaction to the inescapable pull of a black hole, is what drew me to the field of physics. My exploration took the form of documentaries, MinutePhysics videos on YouTube, books, and, when I entered high school, classes that allowed me to develop my understanding of the field in a more comprehensive way.