Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Earth is full of controlled chaos. Or lack thereof, but what if it could be controlled? The chaotic tendencies of nature can be found in space, across the surface of Earth, in the everyday habits of people, and in the oceans, where intertwined particles of hydrogen and oxygen form the vast bodies of water that cover a majority of the planet. With a million different species and depths of up to ten thousand meters, oceans are invigorated with life, energy, and the unknown. Their significant presence and potential overshadows the disorder and unpredictability that lies within. Mass amounts of water pool together to transfer kinetic and potential energy to form waves that batter shorelines. Disparities and various factors contribute to intense storm formations, ocean currents, and thermal expansion. Despite being full of chaotic behaviors, the massive bodies of water are full of unique opportunities for energy, biodiversity, and discoveries that have yet to be made. But the potential continues to go unharnessed. Why does society continue to do so little to protect it? When will the chaos be controlled in a way that is equally beneficial to nature and humans? What wonders exist in oceans on other celestial bodies? I have always been fascinated with undiscovered and discovered aspects of oceans. Organisms such as the Turritopsis dohrnii, a jellyfish that is essentially immortal as it can transform into a child version of itself with the same genetic makeup. Or how Mantis Shrimp can process twelve channels of color, compared to humans' three channels. Or ancient cities and architecture that are submerged underwater, waiting to be explored. Oceans have so many compelling elements because of the significance of all of the unique species and items that are lost in the chaos. Like oceans, people experience disorder as they navigate everyday challenges. Chaos can have many interpretations, but for me, confusion and disorder in the system come from four older siblings, two dogs, and my skin color. Growing up knowing so much less than those around me was intimidating and frustrating. Each of my siblings thinks and behaves in different ways, unpredictable and random: chaotic. In addition to my siblings, another source of chaos came from my appearance. Being multiracial, a small percentage of the town I grew up in, was certainly a challenge as I became involved more in the community. Even from a young age, my appearance attracted curiosity from peers, which was a challenge for a while, but it helped me value the differences that people around me had to offer. After resisting the chaos around me, I became determined to value the situation as an opportunity to learn from those experiences, which led to me exploring my paths in hopes of finding what I was passionate about. My desire and curiosity for controlled chaos have motivated me to continue exploring new opportunities. My interest in finding a balance between chaos and order has encouraged me to search for answers in everyday experiences and opportunities. For example, the Virginia Earth System Science Scholars and Virginia Space Coast Scholars programs allowed me to learn about current NASA projects and research fundamental components of the Earth and its hydrosphere. The Center for Information and Technology allowed me to explore the history and future of computers in our society while learning about the hardware and software associated with them. My internship at the Natural Language Processing Lab at VCU enabled me to research the field of Computer Vision to develop an image analysis program. Through various channels, my eagerness to expand my knowledge has provided a method of using chaos to achieve optimal results: controlled chaos. Earth’s oceans possess arrays of wonders and possibilities, much of it still being explored. What secrets are hidden deep below the surface? Maybe just like the immense oceans, there are secrets yet to be discovered in my own life and I am eager to find out.