The trip to Indiana Dunes National Park is two hours. Although, to Addison Gray, it felt like forever. Indiana Dunes National Park is said to be one of the best places in Indiana sophomore to see the stars, according to www.wishtv.com -- and that was where she was headed.
¨I know this is going to be worth it,” Gray thought to herself. Arriving at her destination, Gray was already mesmerized by the sky. Eagerly, she started to set her equipment up. She placed her right eye into the eyepiece of the telescope.
¨Wow!¨
Every young child aspires to a career -- whether it’s a teacher, a doctor, a firefighter, etc. How they get there depends on if they are willing to put in the effort, time and dedication. At one time or another, most kids also say they want to be an astronaut or an astronomer -- but would they do anything to become one?
Gray’s ultimate goal is to work for NASA to pursue her dream of studying astronomy.
“It was a few years ago when I initially thought about astronomy and going into that scientific field of study. I was just thinking about what I want to go into after high school and I knew that I wanted to do something in physical science,” said Gray. “I like looking at the moon and stars, so I thought that astronomy might be something I’m interested in.”
When it comes to careers that require such a high demand, astronomy has got that covered. According to www.afterschoolafrica.com, Astronomy is ranked #2 in being one of the hardest majors to study, with Chemistry in first place. Studying Astronomy is very challenging because students need a good sense of math and physics. It takes approximately ten years after high school to just become a research astronomer.
“Astronomy has a lot of parts that require some knowledge of Physics, so that’s where my Physics classes will help me. I also like Chemistry, so I want to take AP Chemistry in high school, too. I’m also taking Earth Space Science this year, which involves astronomy-related topics,” said Gray.
College is a big thing. One big thing college determines is if an occupation is a good fit. College also helps someone discover who they truly are. Choosing the right college is a crucial step in a student’s career path. Many students get a college education to better their chances of getting a good job. “I was thinking about staying in state and going to IUPUI or IU and colleges like those. I would also love to go to Harvard or Yale, even MIT,” said Gray. “Graduating from those schools would also probably help me get a better job after college, as well. I am going to apply to a lot of colleges and scholarships and just try to get multiple options for my future.”
She added, “My favorite part about studying space is discovering new things and learning about how things exist and function outside of our world. I like learning about the history of astronomy and what the first scientists thought our universe looked like back in the day. For example, Aristotle thought that the earth was the center of the universe and everything else was orbiting around it. It also amazes me that these people found out so much information about space with technology that is not even close to the level of our technology today.”