In more generic terms, studying biochemistry means to closely analyze the chemical processes of living systems. Unfortunately for those who take this route of study, there are thousands of these reactions occurring in each of our cells every second of the day. This makes for more than enough content to focus on. For me, biochemical inquiry is more specifically a way to understand myself and the world around me. As an autistic person, my brain is wired to ask different questions than most. I do not desire to memorize information but rather understand why the information is true and be able to make connections between my known and new knowledge. Growing up, I spent a lot of my waking time wondering how and why we were alive/conscious. To me, the explanation was deeper than any organized religion could explain. But, growing up in an isolated rural area, my questions were never answered to my standards. I desired to really understand. I chose to study biochemistry still unsure if my questions would be answered. I was not even fully aware of what biochemistry would entail, but I knew that it was what doctors studied, and that’s what I had set out to become. But freshman year, everything changed. I contracted a dual bacterial infection that took everything from me. Not only did it steal my ability to participate in athletics, my access to a normal college experience, and my peace of mind, but it also changed my mind about my future career. At this point, I was still in general science courses and naive to what biochemistry would teach me but what I did know was that being a doctor was not for me. I did not want to treat people like numbers or be controlled by insurance companies, not to mention my deathly fear of returning to a hospital setting post sickness. Thankfully, I did not steer away from biochemistry completely as I still had unanswered questions. I decided I would become a teacher so that I could answer students questions properly unlike anyone had done for me. I would go on to get healthy and finally be able to experience the wonders of biochemistry my junior year of college. This is when it all began to click. The number of questions did not subside but the complexity of them increased. Now that I had the answers I was searching for, my new understandings cultivated new questions. These questions included ones I still haven’t answered, but that’s the best apart about biochemistry. The wondering never ends. There are still things that nobody has the answers to or that haven’t even been wondered. The learning never ends, which I don’t want it to. The biochemical processes of life are immense. The avenues of interest are diverse, and more research ideas exist than can be funded. To be a biochemist you must know it all, from the way you make your energy to the way you die. I surely do not claim to know it all, but I know much more than when I started my college education four years ago. To know it all, I’ll need to put it many more years of study. I plan to postpone these studies so that I can give back to the next generation of scientists. I want to be the access point for higher inquiry for students. I want to cultivate those who aren’t scared to wonder and be left without answers right away. I intend to provide “free learning” to my students as I believe they are capable of understanding more than is expected of them and to be able to understand yourself is truly a superpower.