Thursday, August 24, 2017

Introduction to a Future Chemist

Hello everyone, my name is Juan and I am currently a senior majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry. I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life and love it here. If I were to guess, I would say I'm one of the few that would love to spend the rest of their life in this state. You see, I was born and raised in Oklahoma. I come from a small country town with a population of about 2,500 people. After hearing that, most people usually say things like “what is there even to do there” or “I bet you can’t wait to get out of there”. I usually just respond with a simple smile or sometimes I just tell them it’s not as bad as it seems. I can’t necessarily say anything else because, I mean, every person is different and has been through different situations throughout their lives. In reality, there are obviously less entertainment venues, shopping stores, and restaurants to choose from. But think about that for a minute and ask yourself, “Do I really need those certain things to live happily?” Your answer may very well be “yes” but not for me. Like I said before, I live in a small country town where everyone knows each other and is familiar with one another. That is something that will always be important to me and for my family. There is a sense of security and awareness when you actually know your neighbors all around you. Going out of town a little bit you run out of asphalt road and start traveling on the red dirt roads made from shale, or as we call them “the back-roads”. After about a 5-minute drive passing green pastures, tall cottonwood trees, and creeks my farm is on the side of the road. My dad and I have raised livestock ever since I can remember on about 250 acres of land. Cattle and horses are our pets and I have a few picture of each that I’ll post below. We have traditional rodeos about twice a year where about 600-800 people show up from various places in the country. It’s a beautiful site to see so many people together having a good time as the sun sets on the horizon. I could keep going on and on about my hometown but I'll just keep it at this and upload the few pictures below!


(Little Spot Calf)


(El Moro the Sire)


(Brothers from El Moro)


(Angle from Rodeo)


(Little Nephew Learning Young)


Career Goals: I’m currently majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry and set to graduate next semester. There are different areas that I have looked into, as far as what I want to do after I graduate but the oilfield has always been my calling. Other than farming and veterinary, I have experience in the oilfield from working with my dad in jobs such as: work over rig, hydro-testing, acid pump trucks, and fracking. I’d like to be a field consultant or work as a chemist.



TV: I’ve always been into adventure/action movies. My favorite movie series would have to be Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Those are two that I could watch over and over again without getting bored! Game of Thrones is also one that I have been starting to enjoy but I am still far behind before I get to the current season’s episodes that everyone is talking about.



(Hogwarts: Flickr)


(Gandalf: Pexels)

25 comments:

  1. I can definitely relate to your small-town world-view, Juan! For family reasons, I'm living in North Carolina, very rural (it's tobacco harvest time right now)... and I really can't imagine coping with a city again. I loved the big city when I was younger, but now I really appreciate the peace and tranquility of having the woods as my closest neighbors. And thank you for sharing the pictures of the calf and horses and little nephew too: so cute! People have done horse projects for this class before, but nobody has looked at the great mythological cattle stories before... that could be a very cool project indeed! You might want to think about that when you get to the project brainstorming later this week. For now, I will just leave you with links to Kamadhenu, the wish-giving cow of Indian legend, and this article on sacred bulls from all over the world. There are some wonderful stories in there for sure! :-)

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  2. Hi Juan!

    That's awesome that you truly loved where you grew up that much! I honestly can't even image that lifestyle as my high school had almost 4,000 students and I couldn't even tell you the names of half the people in my class. I never thought about the sense of security in knowing everyone around you. I am glad you brought that up because that completely changes my view of small towns.
    Also, props on that double major!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hi Juan! I'm from a small town too (not as small as yours though!) and it's nice to hear some positivity about growing up in a small place. I agree that it's comforting to know your neighbors and to have a tight-knit community. Thanks for posting the pictures of your animals; they are beautiful and really interesting to someone who didn't grow up around farms!

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  4. Hi Juan! Haha, I'm also one of the few that wants to stay in Oklahoma! Lived here all my life and love it! But wow, such a small town! I'm from OKC, so I can't relate too much. I love your animals, they're beautiful, especially El Moro!

    Wow, it seems like your pretty set career-wise. You have some great experience! Hydro-testing sounds really cool!

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  5. Juan I just got done reading all of your introduction and I have to say, yourself and I are just about one in the same. I love this state and the people in it, you included it sounds like. The small town vibe is one that I can relate with. I have a love/hate relationship with being able to talk to everyone by name. It was also refreshing reading about the oil field. The town where I grew up, I believe, would not still be there today if it wasn't for the oil field boom of the 80's and today. I know a little about the fracking side but mostly the water waste side of things. To end it all up seeing the photos of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings was awesome. Two of my favorites!

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  6. Juan,

    Hello! First off, this page is formatted so differently from all the other blogs that I've seen. I kind of like that it's unique! I love your perspective on being from a small town, though I think it's rare. Most people probably fall into the category that you typically encounter - people that question living in a small town because of the lack of "normal" activities. Though I don't know if I would ever live in a small town, I really like that you understand that those sort of things don't contribute to true joy. Also, I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Nice to meet you!

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  7. Hey Juan! I'm from a small town back in New York, which is a little different than small town Oklahoma, for sure, but I can totally understand where you're coming from. All the pictures of the animals were great; I have always had a love for animals, and where I live back in New York, there is a ton of farm land around that I can go and visit the cows when I want. I took a class last semester on Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings, and the movies were a big part of the curriculum. I have to be honest, however, and say that I fell asleep during the second movie. It's great to meet you!

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  8. Hi Juan!
    I definitely understand small town life. I come from a small town, and graduated with only 12 people. Of course, people always look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that. I grew up out in the country and we had cattle as well, along with many other animals. Good luck with the rest of your semester!

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  9. Hey again Juan!

    This is definitely the most informative and detailed blog I have read so far! You have a lot of different interests and passions, and I think that is awesome! I am from a small town as well. I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life just like you. I think it is cool that we can relate in that way. This state has been my home for so many years, and it has provided me with some great memories. I am a Biology major, so I can relate to you in that sense. I am sure you have spent many long nights studying like I have. I wish you the best moving forward! It sounds like you are very passionate and driven. I am confident you will have a lot of exciting things going on in the near future.

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  10. Hey Juan!

    Your introduction blog rocks! It provided me with so much information about you, that I feel as though I know you well!

    First of all, I have to say that I LOVE harry potter too! I have read all the books 5 times, and I have been to Harry Potter world 3 times, about to be 4 in November. I even went to a Harry Potter camp at the science museum when I was in grade school! It was the neatest camp, you would have loved it!

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  11. Hi Juan! I think it is really cool that you want to live in Oklahoma for the rest of your life. Personally, for me I too would like to live in Texas where I was born for the rest of my life as well. I am a marketing major so I cannot relate to you at all! I am definitely not a science person so props to you for being passionate about it.

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  12. Hi Juan!
    That is incredible how you grew up in such a small and close knitted community! I grew up in San Jose, California and after that moved to Moore, Oklahoma. I never got to experience the feeling of going out to the market and knowing everyone around me. I barely knew everyone in my school. I agree that you don't need the physical and finer things in life to be happy. Happy is different for each person and what makes one person happy doesn't make another.

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  13. Hi Juan! Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful pictures of your home and life. You’ve left several kind comments on some of my posts, so I’m glad to finally get the chance to read yours! I’ve always had a love for horses, and even planned to have some when I was older. I wanted to be a vet when I was little for this reason. I’m so happy that you’re content with where you are. All of my family is here, so it’s crazy for me to imagine moving away. It’s not an expensive state to live in (compared to others I’ve been in), so I’m able to afford little vacations every now and then when I’m bored. But it’s always nice to come back to quiet comfortable Oklahoma after navigating LA’s busy highways.

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  14. Hi Juan!
    I loved seeing all your picture of your home life! I love farm animals! My great grandma ran a farm in Pawne and I always had so much fun going out there and staying there with her. I remember one time I got in big trouble because I picked some corn too early. Oops!

    I too am a huge Harry Potter fan! I have been to HP world 3 times! Have you been? You will have to sometime!

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  15. Hi Juan!
    First off thanks for sharing such sweet pictures of your home life and animals!! I t was great to get to read your introduction and get to know you a little better. You seem like you really have your head on straight and it was cool to get to hear your perspective on things! You've clearly got a lot going on with school so I am sending your major happy thoughts! I am also a huge Harry Potter fan so I loved reading that about you - still not much of A LOtR girl but hey maybe this year! It was so great "meeting" you and I hope you have a great week!

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  16. Hello Juan!
    A fellow chemist! How great to meet you! I am a Junior Chemical Engineer in the accelerated MS/BS program and I hope to get my PhD in Chemistry sometime! I absolutely love chemistry, not just in an industrial sense (I am interning with ExxonMobil), but in an amateur lab sense! My dream is to have my own lab where I can perfect my abilities as a chemist and work with limited resources to synthesize exotic and useful chemicals. I also want to study drugs and their physiological/psychological effects on the human body. Good luck with your work as a scientist, we are making the world a better place. :)

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  17. Hi Juan,
    I agree that all the entertainment venues are not needed to live a happy life, and it's nice to hear that you have embraced that reality. I'm impressed with you major choice, I have had a few chemistry classes and I very glad I won'y be using it in my future career. Good luck with the rest of this semester!

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  18. Hi Juan, I love the pictures you shared of your family life. Props to you for double majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. I could never take any classes that are in relation to your major. I am a marketing major and definitely have more of a business mindset than a science. Good luck this semester!

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  19. Hi Juan!
    I think you did a great job with the design and structure of your blog. Also I really like how you incorporated personal photos and so many different photos into your introduction. Further, your cows are so cute and your horses are so beautiful! It must be a lot of fun to live on a farm with so many animals!

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  20. Hey Juan!

    Thanks for sharing so much about your hometown! It’s evident that you really care about it and you have deep roots there. I think it so cool that you have a farm! I definitely can appreciate the quiet tranquility that comes with living in a rural area, and I can see how there would be an added sense of security knowing all of your fellow neighbors! I feel like I only know a few of the people that live near me back home, and I’ve lived there for over 5 years!

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  21. Hi, Juan! It must be nice growing up in a small community, I was born in the city so I can’t really relate. Where do the rodeos take place, because I feel like my parents might enjoy something like that? It’s good to see that you have thought about your options after graduating. I wish you good luck on the rest of this semester and your senior year!

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  22. Hey Juan!
    Small communities really are not that bad, actually they are better in most ways, I do agree with you there. It was also cool to read about your future and your goals for work. You are almost graduated, I hope that you enjoy the remainder of this semester and the next one!

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  23. Hi Juan!

    I used to be a Chem/Biochem major too, but organic chemistry scared me off! I love how you describe your town! You make it sound so nice. I grew up in Tulsa, so it wasn’t the biggest city, but it definitely wasn’t a small town either. Great to meet you and I’m excited to read more of your writing!

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  24. Juan, I used to be one of those people who desperately wanted to get out of Oklahoma because anywhere else must be better! Well, I moved to Houston and I miss Oklahoma so badly, I can't even remember why I hated it so much to begin with. It is great that you love where you came from. I am sure that you will do great things in Oklahoma!

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  25. Hi Juan!
    Looks like there are some people I haven't gotten a chance to meet this semester, but I am glad I was able to come across your page before the semester ended. I, too, have lived in Oklahoma all my life. I always told people I would want to leave here eventually and go to Texas. However, being a pre-dental student, I was told that there are a shortage of dentists in Oklahoma. So, now, I am really considering just staying here after I graduate dental school! Who knows! But, I wish you the best of luck with finals! Nice to meet you!

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