'Blue Jay. Cyanocitta cristata. 9:40a.m. Homewood Campus. Pecking acorns on the lawn.' Jotting down a few words with a pencil, I raised my camera and adjusted the focus on the birds.

It was not my first encounter with a flock of these lively songbirds covered with sapphire plumage from the crown to the tail, with black-and-white stripes lining its wings, chirping and whistling in their melodious chords. Rendezvous with these elegant and fluffy creatures was the rabbit hole that I tripped over and fell into the wonderland of diverse species. Roaming in the gardens bursting with exuberance, I was amazed to witness the harmonious coexistence of various species, the key that unlocked my passion and determination in conserving biodiversity and building a world filled with the vigor and magnificence of nature for posterity.

Putting binoculars down, I spared no time in discovering the microscopic world comprised in a droplet of rainwater back in the laboratory. Ruled by a great magnitude of protean prokaryotes and bacterias, the realm was a secret territory that intrigued humankind from fermentation techniques dating back to 5000 BC to contemporary research on biodegradable materials. I anticipate zooming into the molecular structure of the pigment, melanin, that accounts for the dark streaks outlining the periphery of contour feathers on the wings of blue jays, or imbibing cutting-edge theories in biochemistry lectures at college halls. I hoped to explore the complex conformations of organic molecules with which new drugs and potential treatments could be devised and improved, and eventually serve patients and society.

While pressing the shutter and preserving the moment, I wondered if someday I could stretch out my wings and embrace future opportunities and challenges. But for now, I dream to groom my feathers and strengthen my wings by gaining new knowledge and experience, like a blue jay. One day I hope to solve the unsolvable.