Explorations Ariel Chen

A pink plastic weather station. A two-inch Black Friday telescope pointed at the Moon. A fishtank, lid heavy with chrysalises about to become butterflies. Of the images from my childhood, these and many more stand out as defining moments. I once wanted to become a storm chaser, and though I’ve moved away from adrenaline-fueled career goals, I’m not staying away from science and exploration. My plans for the future have included architecture, marine biology, prosthetic engineering, physics, and programming; I currently want to study biology and computer science and build computer models that function in epigenetics studies. I know that, whatever I choose, I will still be exploring, seeking new knowledge. Rice’s School of Natural Sciences (and School of Engineering) would give me a necessary foundation of knowledge and important specialized skill sets that would allow me a successful career in research.