Philosophy of Education

Written 12/2017: "Meditations on a Sack of Atoms”

It is rather fantastic, mysterious, and intriguing to ponder the existence of life in the universe. Truly one of my favorite pastimes, I like to think about the complexities of the stars, and how truly wonderful nature can be on the greater scale of the cosmos. Perhaps one of my most magical theories on the existence of life, is one of the most simple, yet it constantly inhabits my thoughts and manipulates my actions like a virus controls an unsuspecting host. This “mind virus” stems from the fact that the atoms that serve as building blocks for you and I, are identical in structure to any other atom in the universe. These atoms, being the ancestors of a past star that happened to go super-nova, are the building blocks for everything we know here on earth, yet there is something special and unexplainable about the fire of life. To me, it seems as if this specific universe we inhabit, gave rise to life so that it could observe the universe that created it. As far as we know, life on earth is the only collection of atoms that posses the privilege and wherewithal to actually ponder the universe and unlock the secrets from which they were created. 

For me, this wherewithal is what similarly drives me forward in life. The drive to explore is something that is not only unique to life, but is especially unique to humans. From my family genealogy, it is clear that I come from a line of people much like myself, who are constantly shooting for the horizon veiled in the shadowy darkness of uncertainty. Such a drive to explore manifests itself in me, as a quest for knowledge. This quest for knowledge is something that is truly fundamental to who I am, and from my pondering on the existence of life, is something that is especially unique to the collection of atoms in this specific part of the cosmos. Being that it is so unique, I have come to the realization that it would be rather tragic had the universe given rise to a being that had the capability to observe its creator, yet squandered the opportunity to do so. 

Such a quest for knowledge and observation of the amazing space around us is one of the fundamental goals of my life— lifelong learning. I mean lifelong learning not in the cliche sense of “learning a new thing each day”, but lifelong learning in the sense of constantly surrounding myself in awe and amazement at the awesomeness of the world we live in, and consistently trying to understand what makes my heart flutter. Truly, I find wonder in nearly everything—ask my girlfriend as I’m sure it gets annoying at times, yet it is one of the most fundamental sparks in my day to day existence. To me, university ought to be an environment for which I can express this love of the unknown, and find ways to exercise the practice of exploration. 

As Aristotle so eloquently put, “We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence not be an act, but a habit”. I have taken this message to heart, and made learning my daily habit. I truly enjoy school because I know what I like to do. In college, a degree will simply be the conduit for which I am able to continue exploring throughout my life, and be able to help those around me explore the unknown of the beautiful universe. Ultimately, I know that college will truly be able to focus my awe and inspiration towards a topic that I find the most interesting, and give me a starting point from which to grow. My AP physics teacher, Coach McKellips would always quote Issac Newton’s “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”, then follow by saying that he hopes we will stand upon his face as we go fourth into our careers, and continue learning. Here, at the University of Colorado, I hope to stand upon the faces of those that teach, stoke, and encourage my passions and explorations, so that someday I can coax the next generation to stand upon me, and continue my life long passion of learning. Truly, I will never stop learning. The collection of atoms that have made me will only briefly observe the workings of the universe, only to affect other collections of atoms before fading into obscurity and blackness. 

Philosophy of Leadership

Written 12/2020: "A Great Leader Is Like A Great Gardener"

What makes a great gardener great? What is the role of a gardener? Well, despite how hard they try, a gardener can't make a plant grow. They can't yell at the plant to grow more fruit or even incentivize the plant with money, vacation time, or threats. Plants need a few basic things to thrive: the right nutrients, water, sunlight, and an environment free of pests. It is the job of the gardener to make sure the plant has these things in the right amounts. They ought to water the plant the correct amount, prune the plant regularly, and make sure any weeds or bugs that are disturbing the plant are taken care of. If they create a favorable environment for growth and work to maintain this environment, chances are that the plant will flourish. Even if the environment is perfect, the plant doesn't grow instantly. Gardening requires patience; once a seed is planted it can be weeks or even months before growth is visible above the ground. Does the gardener give up? No! They must trust that the healthy environment they have created will pay off eventually, even if it might not be immediately obvious. Remember that within every acorn is a great oak tree; it just takes time and the right environment to realize it's potential.

I hope the analogy here is obvious: a great leader should be a lot like a good gardener. As a leader, we can't force our team members to do what we want them to do, and more often than not, incentives don't have the desired effect long term. Plants are far less complicated than people, yet the idea is the same. In my experience, every great leader has the same thing in common: they focus on creating a nourishing environment so their team can grow. Just like gardening, growth doesn’t happen right away, but patience often pays off in the long run. In my opinion, this is what makes a great leader a great leader.

Even though this is what I believe today, this hasn't always been the case. When I first came to college, the notion of leadership was confusing. If you would have asked me four years ago what makes a leader, I wouldn't have been able to give a coherent answer. I think early on in my life, I thought that the team leader was simply the person who did the most amount of work; which I now understand was just taking initiative without motivating the rest of the team to do the same. As I entered the workforce, I became more confused about leadership. For a while, I thought a leader was just a delegator and an enforcer; they were supposed to tell everyone what to do and punish when deadlines weren't met. I now know that delegation of tasks to achieve greater vision is a huge part of leadership, but punishment is not. Team members should not be afraid of their leader; but should respect them because of the growth environment they create. While my idea of leadership has changed a lot, I am sure that my growth is still incomplete. Five years down the road my answer to this question will probably be more refined, but lifelong learning means lifelong growth.