In the fall, Koen Beaver will begin studying at Columbia University in New York City, majoring in physics, and possibly minoring in philosophy. He relishes researching and exploring the similarities and differences between these two disciplines, both of which are concerned with fundamental questions about the universe.
Beaver stresses his personal philosophy to refrain from being one-dimensional, embracing an interdisciplinary focus on science, debate, the humanities, and international affairs. Although his principal focus at this time is on physics, Beaver is enthusiastic about his multiple interests: science in general, being an award-winning member of the debate team, serving as a science camp counselor, and being a founding member of Model UN at Cheyenne Mountain High School.
Beaver describes a tipping point in his belief system and perspective was a result of debating a Model United Nations topic: “Organ trafficking isn’t morally wrong”. Through research, angst, logic, and skepticism, his worldview shifted. “Statistics, science, and logic gave way”, says Beaver. “I had found philosophy and discovered I love pushing logic past its breaking point.”
For six weeks last summer, Beaver attended the Summer Science Program based in Boulder. This experience, along with being mentored by his Cheyenne Mountain High School physics teacher, Adam Bentson, capped Beaver’s self-described “lifelong craving for physics.”
“Koen has demonstrated an impressive academic skill set,” says Bentson, and “has performed as the top student in his class, not through endless hours of study, but through a pragmatic and effective no-nonsense approach to learning.”
Dedicated to currently researching climate change, Beaver asserts that “I remain further committed to moral conviction…In the future, as a researcher, I hope to bring the laboratory into the real world to design achievable and effective solutions, bridging the divide between theory and reality”.
Beaver notes that logic vs. philosophy challenges his beliefs. He sees that philosophy defies science. “Debate, physics, politics, chess — each pursuit I had kept exclusive was commonly rooted, like an aspen grove, in philosophy.” Bentson observes that “While many students may debate the solution to a problem…Koen is always confident in what he knows and is not afraid to make bold decisions in solving problems, even when they are contrary to the opinions of his peers.”
As the lead counselor at an AI Summer Camp last summer, Beaver demonstrated strong skills in overcoming challenges and barriers. The weeklong day camp is offered to a broad age range of students, typically 5th-11th graders. He succeeded in ensuring the camp was free, so no one who was interested in attending was left behind. Sixty kids showed up on the first day of camp, twice the number expected. Beaver dove in and worked with donors and volunteers to ensure that every camper had a positive experience and was also fed. The highest comprehension results in the history of AI Summer Camp were achieved under Beaver’s direction. “Leadership”, he says, “is caring enough to throw everything at a problem when preparation fails.”
As an example of Beaver’s ongoing hunger to explore long-held beliefs, he uses the concept of winning vs. losing. After losing at chess, he found that “…winning became irrelevant. Games, I realized, weren’t line segments but one collective path. Each win or loss wasn’t the destination but a pitstop, fuel for learning to come.”
Beaver expresses his deep gratitude to his parents for their ongoing support and encouragement, and for fostering his independence. He relates that his mother always tells him to “fight the good fight.”
“Going forward’, Beaver says, “I aspire to fight not just the ‘good fight’ but the best fight — and I’ll fight it with every fiber of my being.”