Why did you choose your major? (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering)
"I became interested in medical research after my older brother had an injury at work. After undergoing seven years of surgeries and uncertain diagnoses, my brother has suffered from permanent nerve damage, dystonia and CRPS. He recently had a Cortical Stimulator, Deep Brain Stimulator and a Dorsal Column Stimulator implanted to help interfere with the electrical misfirings in his brain. Going through all of this with him has exposed me to the blind-side of medicine: nerves. Not only has my brother’s struggle inspired me, but made me open my eyes to the issue that damaged nerves has had on roughly 20 million Americans. It has become a high priority of mine to find a way to regenerate damaged nerves and tissues in the body so I can one day help people who have been living this debilitating life, like my brother."
The Why Axis Project is a manifestation of a larger concept I try to incorporate into my work. In my opinion, to truly understand someone, you must learn why they do what they do and not just what. The world of college gave me the opportunity to start this photo story by looking at why people chose their major versus just what people chose. This fundamental shift in thinking has allowed me deeper connections to those I met and photographed. Through this long-term photo story, I hope to share all the different answers to this question.
