Neuroscience, Education, and Vision - Welcome to My Passions!

My full name is like the title of this page, Sofía Hidalgo. Accent included. I am now 21 years old and am a proud Texan. Raised in the border and surrounded by the rich Mexican culture (El Paso, Texas) . Like I have mentioned, I am currently pursuing a BS in Biochemistry. The studies of this field have always fascinated me early on, which is why I was so set on learning about them. Chemistry was one of my areas of interest when deciding to go to college. How we can improve technologies and understanding how the world around us affects us and how we affect it, is something very attractive to me. Then you add the Biology into it. Why life as we know it takes some courses, undergoes certain procedures, and conducts itself in specific manners brings me an enrapturing feeling. You combine these two studies and out of it comes the field of Biochemistry.

I decided Biochemistry was the perfect merge for me to dive into and continue to learn from. Not only with Biochemistry can you learn about disease, cure, and about the underlying principles of biochemical procedures of living organisms. Biochemistry brings an exciting component to what it means to be alive.

It's with Neuroscience that I've found my factorial passion, however. I've found the brain to be my favorite organ, and its biochemical procedures, the most interesting to look at. The primal attention of the brain is something that even the Egyptian civilization ceased to understand thousands of years ago. Why do we have a brain, what are its functions? Is this interesting organ just a thinking machine?

Lets examine this further.

What can the brain do for us? I'd like to say, it's not just a storage processing machine. It's not just the "coordinating center of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity" as Oxford defines it.

The word brain originates from Germanic languages. Scholars have attributed the Greek to referring to the brain as phren, which means “mind” and “thought” (Liberman,2015). Today, with the advanced understanding of the human brain, we not only know how our brain is able to process thoughts and create a unique mind, but also how there is an evident synergistic connection between our brain health and our overall optimized wellbeing.

What is happening in our brain? How do these electrical, chemical, complex processes affect us? Most importantly, how can we magnify on our scientific findings? These are all questions that intrigue me. My hope and dream is that with investigation and research, we can learn how to shape our minds into being the healthiest possible. I believe brain health to be primal for our well being and worthy of contributing to.

Moving forward!

Amongst the contributions I hope to make, also lies Education. Education has lacked the leading factor that pertains to learning. How can we learn more effectively if its not by understanding our idiosyncratic brain? By investigating the intrinsic and unquenchable mechanics of the brain, mind, and body, I hope I can make a contribution to learners across the world and improve what is now procedural acquisition of knowledge.

This is what I am passionate about. Not the mere idea of knowledge, but of the ALL- biochemical, educational, neurological process of magical learning.

I have also come into the conclusion that what interests me, my passions and goals, all merge into something that is bigger than the box that we define as a field of study. It transcends a field. It goes beyond. We can always dig deeper and expand wider. "Education is not for everyone" is something we often hear people say. I'm here to tell you it is. Education is for everyone. It is up to each person to decide what type of education they want to receive. What kind of education they want to provide for themselves.

Who are we if not our own educators each day? The challenge of education underlies the fact that we choose to accept systematic education, we continue to follow educational practices that are no longer effective. The head start that we must endure is that of jumping the hurdle of useless teaching. We must transform it into meaningful teaching and learning. We must guide learners into minding their own gap. Knowing where they want to be and where they are, so that they may move forward. Explore!

Some last thoughts - Curiosity

I consider myself to be a person with an initiative spirit that has always had the desire of transforming the way institutions and learners approach education. I'm focused on generating solutions to better living and brain sustainability. Currently, I am working on Developmental Neurolinguistics in Bilingual Environments and how this affects memory, learning, and cognition on children 3-7 years old. I hope to have exciting news soon about our findings, which I would love to share.

Apart from my academic focus and professional drive, I love to play tennis and explore the outdoors. As a person dedicated to curiosity, I find it fascinating to observe our nature and surround myself with it. I will also always be ready to learn about different and new cultures, experiences, wisdoms, and histories. Whether that'd be thru traveling, reading, or exposition; I am forever bound to being amazed by our world, its surroundings, and its people. Past, present, and future.

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I hope you enjoyed this first post which was more about myself than anything else. I will come back next week to share more specific topics and cool content!

And like Socrates once said; "wisdom begins in wonder", so keep your heart open and your wonder alive.

Thanks for reading and see you next week my Wonderers!

Sources

Oxford Languages and Google - English. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/.

Liberman, A. (2015, July 30). Why is the Brain Called Brain. OUPblog. https://blog.oup.com/2007/02/why_is_the_brai/.