Ogetay Kayali

I am an education advocate — both by profession and by passion. I choose to stand where change begins: in classrooms, in communities, in hearts.

Three things that define me the most: Science, nature, and arts. Yet, ironically these are the three things that don’t define me much. Indeed, these could define me the most! But only in an ideal world where we have peace, where we don’t have to worry about our future.  As an astrophysicist, there is no other day that I can’t help to think what I do is a luxury. Spending time on black holes while some other –who could be me– can’t even find a water to drink. I can’t stop these thoughts. Neither I can stop the problem. But we all can make little changes. And stone by stone, we can built a better future. Because of that, I devoted myself to education, so our kids do not have to worry the same way I do and work on black holes freely and peacefully.

I’m a curious learner with a passion for sharing knowledge. Because of this, science and science communication have always been at the center of my life. But how can someone be deeply curious without being captivated by the very nature itself? It was Takashi Amano who opened my eyes. Suddenly, the jagged elegance of a rock that I pass by, the gentle twist of its veins, the way tree branches sway like whispers in the wind—everything in nature began to speak. Art is hidden in front of our eyes for those who want to see it. And I chose to see it. Even today, I keep an aquascape near my everyday computer where I continue the endless search for meaning of life and universe.

This is my short story — not just of connecting ideas, but of connecting people, through the universal languages of science, nature, and art.