A Flight Into My Future

July 28, 2022

A Flight Into My Future

By: Kaiden Williams, Student

Growing up as a child in a world full of hundreds of potential careers, I was essentially a kid in a large room with hundreds of doors waiting to be opened. However, one flight that many would consider nothing more than a simple form of travel would go on to open a whole line of those doors. That one flight was a flight into my future!

Now this may seem weird or strange to you, but there’s a method to my madness! You may think that toys or sweets are what make a child’s life joyful. However, this is not entirely true! While external factors do play a key role, it’s also the creativity and curiosity from within that fuels you.

To go back to my plane story, I want to emphasize that moment the wheels left the ground. It was like a switch. The thoughts ran through my head like a freight train. How fast do we have to be going? Why are the wings shaped like that? How do the pilots know when to lift the nose of the plane? This was a moment that if you haven’t already, will experience at some point in your lifetime. The moment where the questioning is endless, and curiosity is born.

Now I understand I put great emphasis on your youth, however I would like to clarify that curiosity should NOT end with age whatsoever. Just take a look at all of the different types of scientists in the world. They all have one thing in common. THEY’RE CONSTANTLY ASKING QUESTIONS! I’m going to give you the first 4 steps to what’s called the “Scientific Method.”

1. Ask A Question
2. Do research on the topic
3. Formulate a hypothesis
   (an educated guess based off of what you researched)
4. Test your hypothesis

What’s the highlighted step? ASK QUESTIONS. These are adults well above their childhoods! This is a prime example of how no matter the age, you can always continue to learn new things! To further prove that age doesn’t matter, Dupage Children’s Museum has two little scientists of their own! Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck, Architect of The Questioneers. These two thinkboxes model the core idea that creativity is present within all ages. Even though they are interested in two different things, they both utilize this “Scientific Method” differently. How cool!  

Now to cap this off, I want to provide you, whether you’re an adult or a child, with three tips on how to fuel and keep your curiosity shining bright!

• One, you have to be open to learning 24/7, cause no one on this planet is going to know everything. The best you can do is get in as much as possible.
• Two, don’t be ashamed! Sometimes, you may feel embarrassed to ask a question, or think that you’re too old to be asking questions, but no! There is a reason your brain wants to ask that question. Because it’s curious. It wants to learn! Don’t hold it back.
• And lastly, understand that curiosity is constantly changing. Don’t limit yourself to learning one thing, cause you never know what else you might be interested in, just how a simple flight that no one ever gave a second thought to, became a flight into my future 🙂

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About Kaiden

Kaiden Williams is a young and ambitious baseball player who has a passion not only for his sport, but also for learning as well. Being a student at the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School only further helped him tap into his curiosity, also giving him the opportunity to become a part of the DCM team in helping others hone in on their creativity just as he has. Being a part of this team, Kaiden hopes he can help you find joy in the wonders of the world, starting at the Dupage Children’s Museum!