Personal Statement

Complete Name: James David Mabitad Tuñacao

Program Applied: MS Physics

My place in the universe has always been a point of fascination for me. I’m fascinated by the fact that in
the scale of the cosmos, I am but a unique speck of dust, but I am also made of the same stuff that’s
being forged in the stars. The laws that govern how the planets move in their celestial dance are the
same laws that keep me tethered to the Earth, and I have always been intrigued by this thought. It is
because of this fascination that I enrolled in the BS Applied Physics program at the University of San
Carlos, where indeed, I got to learn about these laws, described so elegantly in concise mathematics,
with implications that reached far beyond anything I had ever understood before. I enjoyed my time as a
Physics student, so much so that I was able to graduate with the honor of Magna Cum Laude.

I wish to continue being a Physics student by enrolling in the MS Physics program. Although I have
definitely learned a lot as an undergraduate student, I crave a deeper understanding of the fundamental
machinations of the universe, and I believe a Master’s degree will fulfill that need. I would also like to
continue my undergraduate research, which touched on the phenomenological implications of a
quantum description of gravity on the structure of astrophysical systems. There are more systems to
explore, and more novel approaches to employ, and I would love the opportunity to work on these
problems under the supervision of the graduate faculty at the Department of Physics.

Although pursuing a Master’s degree will be challenging, I believe I have what it takes to complete such
a daunting task: I am diligent, I am committed, and I have an insatiable curiosity that begs to be fed. I am
guided by my experience in the BS Applied Physics program, and my time as a research assistant at the
Medical Biophysics Laboratory, a job I will complete just as my Master’s journey begins. I am also
equipped to deal with the anxiety and stress that will inevitably come with the pressures of Graduate
school, because I know a support system is in place to help me cope – this being the Counseling office of
the School of Arts and Sciences, of which I am a regular client.

Gaining a Master’s degree will definitely help advance my career as an aspiring physicist, as well as
propel me toward the direction of acquiring a Ph.D. I also hope to contribute to the ever-growing body
of scientific knowledge, while pushing the envelope of physics research. In the long run, whatever
knowledge and expertise I attain, I hope to someday pass on to the next generation of aspiring
physicists, as I see a future for me in the academe.