Prize Recipient

Maria Garzon

Background:

I was born in Chicago Illinois from Ecuadorian parents; I grew up in Ecuador and returned to live in the United States about eight years ago. Ever since I was little, I always looked up into the night sky and wondered what lies within it. Shortly after, this mystery drove me to dream about becoming an astronaut. As I grew up, I started to think about the things that I would need to study and know to achieve the biggest dream of my life. Surprisingly, I found out that the science and mathematics that for so long had been my favorite subjects were the basic principles that could help me achieve my dream. Some of the reasons why I felt that way about those subjects was because I find the subject interesting and many questions we have about our world deals with math and physics. Not only had I used my questions to help decide that I want to major in physics, but also because it relates to my future plans of becoming an astronaut. Thus, it has become the main reason as to why I am pursuing a career in Physics with a minor in Astronomy.