S T U DE N T FE AT U R E
Eyes to the Skies Aspiring Astrophysicist Kaden Oqueli-White by Christian Baustista ’06
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n designing the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne Street, Jesuit’s second president, Fr. John Cambiaso, S.J., included a celestial observatory on the roof of the building. Cambiaso, an astronomer, a chemist, and an architect, was said by writer Fr. Albert Biever, S.J., to have possessed, “unusual strength of body and brilliancy of mind” with “an unlimited capacity for work,” and various sources recount
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K ADEN OQUELI-WHITE
Cambiaso’s propensity to spend time contemplating the created and the Creator from the church’s observatory. While Jesuit’s campus today lacks an astronomical observatory, its curriculum is nonetheless brimming with opportunities for students to turn their gaze to the stars—literally, in the case of senior Kaden Oquelí-White. Managing editor for the Blue Jay newspaper, poetry editor for Calliope, a performer for the Philelectic Society and the J-Troupe, vice president of the fencing club, a member of the creative writing club, a vocalist in the Mass choir, and a member of National Honor Society, Oquelí-White has, amongst his many other interests, a passion for astrophysics and astronomy. He aspires to a career as an engineer or professor—or perhaps both—that allows him to blend both the theoretical and practical sides of his astrophysical proclivity. “I always dreamed of being an engineer,” said Oquelí-White, “though at first I wanted to be an architect. I love observing things, but then I realized that someone has to build everything around us—in some sense, every big project starts in
a garage somewhere. I think the real successes in scientific fields today are accomplished by people who understand both theory and implementation.” His energy for science and engineering was motivated both by public scientific figures such as Stephen Hawkins and by his teachers at Jesuit. “I’ve had great experiences in my classes at Jesuit. Mrs. Swan in particular sticks out in my mind—she always made her class really fascinating, even when they were focused on a topic that I didn’t originally think would be interesting to me.” He was recently named a Thrive Scholar, a QuestBridge College Prep Scholar, and a Hispanic Heritage Foundation Scholar, and he has also attained a “superscore” 36 on the ACT®. Over this summer, Oquelí-White was selected for a NASA-sponsored internship through the prestigious STEM Enchancement in Earth and Space Science (SEES) program. The internship was based at the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. After the internship, he was invited to attend the Advanced Space Academy ® program in Huntsville Alabama. In May, WGNO aired a feature piece on him on Jesuit’s campus, and in July, local news network Fox 8 featured Oquelí-White
commenting on their live coverage of Blue Origin’s first manned space flight. Despite a sharp focus on astrophysics, Oquelí-White feels that his passion for science fits into a larger picture both in terms of his time at Jesuit and in terms his overall worldview. “I’ve always enjoyed the arts,” he said, commenting on the ways in which he feels art and science interact to him as a singer. “Art is an expression of some deeper reality, and art is a really important part of being human.” Perhaps echoing Cambiaso’s own sentiments about the stars some 170 years prior, Oquelí-White says that he hopes that the way in which the mysteries of the universe inspire him might one day spark a similar zeal in future Blue Jays. “In my time at Jesuit I see it as important to be man for others by making sure I leave a legacy that provides even a modicum inspiration for students who will come after me. I don’t think I was able to put that into words until I came here.” If Cambiaso’s extraterrestrial fervor foreshadows what kind of legacy a Jesuit man can leave for future generations, then prospects are good that today’s Blue Jays, too, can leave a legacy that lifts all of our eyes upwards towards the Heavens.
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