Jessica Chomik-Morales
Growing up as an only child, like so many others, I learned social interaction from children at school. As the only child to immigrant parents, however, I had to pay even more attention than most on observing and learning appropriate social behaviors because of the cultural differences between my home life and the world outside. This keen sense of observation and curiosity that I developed soon extended beyond the simple childhood wish to fit in. It became a lifelong pursuit of answers to questions about what makes us who we are and why we behave the way we do.
During the Abnormal Psychology section of a course in high school, our class watched “Silence of the Lambs” and I thought, “I want to be the person talking to that guy [Hannibal Lector].” I believe that our behavior is shaped by the environment but that the raw material is given to us by nature. This belief fuels my curiosity about socially deviant behavior and what biological factors are contributing to them.
Science communication is also something that intrigues me very much. I find that, for the most part, the literature is geared towards other scientists and not the common person. All the jargon makes amazing advancements in the field inaccessible to the public. Sometimes, even we can’t really understand what our peers are talking about! I would love to facilitate this transfer of knowledge and become the next Bill Nye. He was one of the great influencers of my curiosity for science and his videos allowed me to understand a wide range of topics from a very young age.
As for my free time, I can usually be found at the beach (although this will have to be replaced by another activity now that I’ve moved out of Florida), socializing with friends at bars or restaurants, or wrapping up my hands for some MMA training (I am an absolute fanatic of the UFC). I had a couple of motorcycles in high school and although I really love them I have been tugged away from that interest by those close to me. I might rebel and get another one day.
