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ASU LOFAR Program Personal Statement

Stuart Spackman

Hello Dr. Scannapieco,

When I attene the in!ormation meeting a"out the LOFAR program in August, I

"ecame greatl# intereste in getting in$ol$e %ith the program an I ha$e "een eagerl#looking !or%ar to appl#ing !or it. I !oun it intriguing to !in that a !e% unergrauate

ph#sics stuents !rom here at ASU %ere a"le to "ecome in$ol$e in such an e&citing

program that allo%e them to tra$el to 'erman# to assist %ith research. As an

unergrauate ph#sics ma(or, I ha$e "een acti$el# pursuing opportunities to gain researche&perience. I "elie$e the LOFAR program is an ama)ing opportunit#, an that I %oul "e

an e&cellent caniate !or this e&perience.

Regaring m# "ackgroun, I ha$e al%a#s gra$itate to%ars mathematics an

science as oppose to other acaemic su"(ects, "ut I in*t "egin thinking o! ha$ing a

career in ph#sics until I %as si&teen. A!ter reaing Richar Fe#nman*s "iograph# %hen I%as a (unior in high school, I "ecame signi!icantl# more intereste in "ecoming %ell

$erse in scienti!ic su"(ects. +%o su"(ects in particular that I %as, an still am, increi"l#

!ascinate "# %ere cosmolog# an uantum mechanics. -$entuall#, ha$ing a career in

ph#sics "egan to seem concei$a"le to me an I !oun m#sel! en(o#ing the iea o! goingon to "ecome a pro!essional ph#sicist.

o%, as a (unior in the ph#sics program here at ASU, m# goal o! "ecoming aph#sicist has remaine unchange/ I ha$e m# min on attening grauate school an

e$entuall# going on to earn a Ph.D. 0no%ing that research e&perience is an important

part o! seeming like an appealing applicant !or grauate schools, I am certain that "eing

accepte into the LOFAR program %oul not onl# "e an increi"l# en(o#a"le e&perience!or me, "ut an acaemicall# "ene!icial one as %ell.

As !or %h# I %oul like #ou to consier me as #ou make #our selection, I can sa#

that I am a iligent stuent an I take an# %ork that I o $er# seriousl#. I am ma(oring in

"oth ph#sics an mathematics, an I also %ork as a graer !or Dr. 1om!ort*s introuctor#

moern ph#sics class. During m# time here at ASU, I ha$e earne a 'PA o! 2.3 an ha$eha per!ect attenance as %ell. In class an in la"s, I can al%a#s "e counte on to

participate in iscussions. In aition to this, at the "eginning o! high school I tra$ele to

Australia an e% 4ealan through the People to People organi)ation as a stuentam"assaor. 5ecause I ha$e e&perience tra$eling a"roa, I am !ull# a%are o! the !act that

i! %ere I to "e chosen !or the LOFAR program I %oul "e acting as a representati$e o!not onl# ASU, "ut also the Unite States.

+hank #ou !or #our consieration, an I look !or%ar to possi"l# hearing !rom

#ou. Please !eel !ree to contact me.

Sincerel#,

Stuart Spackman