By Yamila García
Like many other people with ASD when I was a kid a was obsessed with science. Nothing captured my attention more than galaxies, astronauts, and space rockets. Another reason for people to see me as a “weird” girl, a girl who lives wrapped in fantasies and does not understand reality. Despite always being aware that I needed to adapt to society, I was never willing to give up my uniqueness. If I was going to fit in, I was going to do it on my own terms.
I went to my middle-school library every day until I finished reading all the books they had on astronomy and astronautics. I kept painting galaxies and using space-themed binders all my school years through high school. As a teenager, when all my classmates had binders or backpacks with the images of their favorite singers, I had someone very special in mine that had nothing to do with singing. His name is Franklin Chang-Díaz. He was an astronaut and my idol for as long as I can remember. I had his pictures on my room’s wall, on my binders, articles of his work everywhere, and he was also the wallpaper on my computer for many years. I felt so proud and inspired by him being the first Hispanic astronaut. I read and learned a lot about his work which I found amazing, I followed his project of plasma propulsion for use in human flights to Mars. I knew he was born in Costa Rica, he made 7 spaceflights and he got his doctorate in applied plasma physics from MIT, but among so many things I knew, I missed a detail.
When I received my acceptance e-mail from UConn, I was at the Commencement ceremony of Three Rivers Community College, graduating with my associate’s degree in Computer Science. Of course, I could not be happier! Immediately after the ceremony, I got back home and opened all the links that were sent to me to learn more about my new university. Exploring the website, I found the “notable alumni” section. I think at this point you can guess what detail I missed and who I found there… Franklin Chang-Díaz received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at UConn and when I found out that I couldn’t stop crying. I was about to start studying at the same school as my lifelong idol. I cried for that dreamy and fanciful girl who should never have adapted too much to anything. I cried with gratitude because as much as one tries to fight against its essence, life (and hard work) always ends up putting things in their place.
In the ITE building, there is a showcase with photos of outstanding alumni from the engineering school. When I feel a little down or overwhelmed, I go there, look at his picture and remind myself to let the fanciful girl in me continue to dream and be as weird as she wants to be. There was nothing wrong with me, the problem was those who did not dare to dream and did not want me to be myself. My “obsession” was just pointing me in the right direction.
https://www.foundation.uconn.edu/notable-alumni/