My name is Luis Nunez. I was born and raised in Southern California to Salvadorean parents. I attended Cal State LA and transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in physics. Thanks in large part to Cal-Bridge, I was offered admission to three PhD programs. I’m currently a grad student at Penn State University, where I am pursuing a PhD in astrophysics. Astronomy always stood out to me as a really fascinating subject. During my senior year in high school I decided I was going to aim high and accomplish something really worthwhile and challenging. Educators like Carl Sagan inspired me to be like them, to become an expert and educator in astronomy. The journey has not been an easy one, and many obstacles have popped up along the way. Fortunately, the strong support system provided by Cal-Bridge has guided me in my path to success.
I applied to Cal-Bridge because a scholarship related to astronomy would increase my chances of getting into grad school and because the financial support would ensure that I could dedicate all my time and effort to school. I like the fact that Cal-Bridge packages the most essential things that undergraduates may need to get into grad school. As scholars, we get informed through workshops on programming, writing, applying, etc. When you get exposed to a big flux of important tips and skills, you tend to be in a better position to achieve your goals.
Mentoring is the most valuable aspect of Cal-Bridge. My two mentors, who are professors of astronomy at CSU and UC campuses, were the role models I needed to find progressively better versions of myself. I cannot emphasize this enough. Their wisdom is partly the result of their years of experience in astronomy. They perceived the mistakes I would have made if I was on my own. They showed me my blind spots. They listened to me when I needed help. They gave me feedback on personal statements. They encouraged me when I felt lost. Furthermore, on several occasions I reached out to my Cal-Bridge peers for advice on coping with difficult challenges. I can’t imagine where I would be without the mentoring system provided by Cal-Bridge.
It’s almost unbelievable to me, but I made it to grad school! Now I can continue making progress towards long-term goals. Inspired by some great professors, I am interested in teaching. Physics is hard to learn, but it’s almost impossible to teach. Anyone who has the courage and skills to stand in front of a classroom and teach 40 undergrads physics for an hour (let alone a semester) deserves a huge medal. I am determined to take the best elements of all my favorite professors and incorporate them in my own unique style. I dream of developing lectures that enable the students to learn fundamental ideas in the most effective way possible. Now that I’m at Penn State, I have the time and resources to improve my teaching skills. I can think of few other things in life that would be more worthwhile to pursue than my dream to make my classroom a better place to learn.