Through my work with the scientists at AMNH, I found out that most of the scientists who study astronomy all know each other! So when I visited other colleges or went to conferences (meetings where scientists talk about their work), it was fun and I learned a lot. I got to work with my friends and my friends’ friends, and together we came up with ideas that we couldn’t have thought of on our own. Later on, I learned the astronomy community is spread all over the world. Since astronomers all study the same Universe, it makes sense to work together!
Although science connects people from all over the world, it’s particularly special for me to be living in Germany, because this is where my grandfather was born. While I was growing up, I heard people speaking all sorts of languages; Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, but I never really heard anyone speak German. I also didn’t know anyone that was from Germany. Because my grandfather passed away before I was born, I didn't get to experience much of my German heritage.
I’ve been in Germany for just over a month now. I started my time here by taking a beginner’s German language class and hunting for an apartment in Berlin. Now, I spend most of my days at the Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam (a smaller city just outside of Berlin), writing code and analyzing data to learn about the smallest stars in our galaxy. I’m continuing to learn German by taking a weekly class and practicing with my new friends. Over the course of this year, I’ll meet lots of new people, start speaking more German, travel around Europe and learn a lot about the world and myself. I’m looking forward to sharing my journey with you!
