Elammen Batista

My 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Flowers, stopped class to talk about his fascination with space. He told us about asteroids the size of Texas, that were nothing more than passing news on TV. He poked us about the mysteries of what we really think is “out there,” in space. He captivated me in proposing that we don’t know where we really came from. You can always ask, “why?” You can always push further; there’s no one to stop you from that. Mr. Flowers guided me to realizing that answering those big questions, about our place in the world, and what we have yet to find, was my calling.,

I am most passionate to answer questions that we as a species have thought about for a long time, and I wish for my work in physics to do some of the greatest good for our world. I hope to work towards research in understanding the time and history surrounding the Big Bang, as well as exploration into deep space. We truly do not know how much we do not know, and the fact that there is so much to discover just from our universe is what enamors me to pursue astronomy.

I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Graduate School directly after attaining my bachelor’s degree. I have yet to decide what my thesis will be, but it will come. I currently work an observatory organization at my university. One branch of our organization is dedicated to outreach: getting people excited about physics, grabbing people’s attention, and putting it among the stars. Being a student of physics, I am committed to making my knowledge more accessible to the world in a way that lowers the barrier of entry that some prospective students may encounter.