Name, city of residence:
Sandy Astone, Aptos
Grade you started at MMS:
Fifth grade
What inspires you?
I always enjoy reading about the latest in aerospace innovations, advances in technology, and physics/math-related fields always motivates me.
What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
I can’t really specify between physics and math, Physics is just applied math, after all. I’ve always loved both classes and have expanded into a lot of self-study in very specialized topics. One of my favorite things in school is to talk about some new math concept with Sam Lee, John Welch, Jacob Sirk-Traugh, and Sam Kaplan.
If you had the power to change on thing in the world, what would it be?
I would make it so people don’t feel the need to fight so often and could just compromise and coexist. If we as a planet were to all cooperate, we could achieve any other goal, such as solving world hunger.
If you could anywhere, where would you go?
I would go to Gibraltar.
Name one big challenge in your life right now:
Homework
What is your dream job and why?
NASA spacecraft engineer, It’s a great combination of all of my main academic interests, math and physics.
What are your three favorite things?
My computer, my whiteboard in my room and my Breadcat hoodie
Favorite book:
“Abel’s Theorem in Problems and Solutions: Based on the Lectures of Professor V.I. Arnold” by V.B. Alekseev. In the course of trying to understand the lectures in this book, I really realized how much I enjoyed it and I started to self-research more math.
What do you want to do after high school?
Get my master’s in mechanical and aerospace engineering and then go work in the industry for a while. Preferably space more than aero, work opportunities permitting.
Something that you are proud of – and why:
There is a number called Graham’s number, it is very big and the way it is big is very interesting. It inspired me to think more about it and I kind of self-derived the whole concept of hyperoperations from that. I think figuring it out for myself instead of it being told to me has substantially increased my understanding of what a mathematical operator is.
Something that makes you smile:
My cat, Lucy
A favorite MMS memory – and describe why:
The cast party after “Mamma Mia!” was fun; it felt like all the hard work had finally paid off.
The three most-played songs on your favorite playlist:
“Lightbringer” by Pentakill, “Legend” by Tevvez and “Dynasties and Dystopia” by Denzel Curry
