There’s the store, the gas station and fields that stretch to the hills. Describing his home in Scio, Oregon, physics senior Kyle Gourlie emphasizes its small-town lifestyle. Getting access to science in his rural community, however, proved to be a challenge.
“Where I come from, you either do fabrication, welding, you're a farmer or you're a log truck driver. There's never really been anyone who's like, I want to do STEM,” Gourlie said.
But his draw to the field from a young age made him determined to seek it out. After attending community college and transitioning to Oregon State, he has become deeply involved in astrophysics research and outreach. Despite the challenges of being a first-generation student, Gourlie continues to overcome obstacles and strives to pave a path for future students. After graduating as a physics major and mathematics minor in June, he will enter a Ph.D. program this fall at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“I want to be a person that gives back one way or another, whether that's trying to help with passing bills, giving back to the community through volunteering or doing STEM outreach to different regions in the United States,” he said. “I really feel like Oregon State has that ability to be inclusive in their working and learning environments.”
Scio to Corvo
Science gripped Gourlie from an early age. He distinctly remembers being glued to the pages of library books covered in vibrant illustrations of space, then fascinated by descriptions of the solar system. “I was always like, why? How can we even find these things?” he said.
Getting answers to his questions was never easy. In class, most were met with uncertain responses at best. He quickly learned to resort to other resources, from Wikipedia to ‘pretend school days’ his older sister held in the summer, exposing him to material six years ahead of his grade.
His first real opportunity came from a dual enrollment program that allowed him to take classes at Linn-Benton Community College as a high schooler. There, he got a taste for physics in a general course and was hooked. “I was like, oh my god, this is actually what I want to do with my life,” he recalled.
After Gourlie finished his studies at Linn-Benton and decided to further pursue college, the transition to Oregon State was a daunting one. The sheer number of people was overwhelming at first, coupled with longer lectures and more assignments.
But as the year went on it became easier for him to come out of his shell, which made getting help from professors and other students easier as well. Instructors understood and empathized with his circumstances, such as the hour-long commute he made from Scio to Corvallis everyday.
