Ken Brandon

Background

About Ken Brandon

The why behind my pursuit of a career in research: The unknown is my biggest fear and my biggest motivation. My beliefs have allowed me to develop a sense of comfort for the unknown; for the unsolved; for the questions that pave the groundwork for novel research. But more importantly, my beliefs have charged a deep desire to translate general principles of life to give hope to the drained the dreams of my generation. Such as the trips to Highland Elementary in Huntsville, AL, with a few of my classmates, where the school is below average in every category of early childhood learning and where their funding is a part of the side of capitalism that’s rarely talked about. It’s in these four walls where we’ve been able to break stigmas of science being only for select elites by providing applicable scientific experiments for them to grasp certain concepts, showing them that it’s all about exposure. Or Oakwood Adventist Academy, where on May 3, 2016, I assisted in conducting the 1st Annual College & Career Planning Workshop/Panel for middle school students, leaving them with a sense of urgency that their dreams and plans should be targeted now. Why wait? Both schools are predominantly minority, housing the potential that could impact the majority. So the unknown became my catalyst and for the students that I met, a chance to be a difference. Research for some may be just be a career in science and others a chance to be a part of special innovations that our world is in need of. For me, research exposed my fear of the unknown but gave me an excitement for the search, identified passion against a plethora of opportunities, opened doors to mentors that have pushed me, held me accountable, and expected only greatness, gave me a platform to be a difference, and if I can make a living on top of that, that’s a dream worth fighting for.