Why Physics?
Adam Long has a theory about why physics became his favorite subject.
It may have something to do with all the questions.
Growing up in Davenport, Long was homeschooled by his mother. Lessons rarely stayed confined to the day's assignment. A topic in a textbook could turn into a YouTube video. A YouTube video could lead somewhere else entirely. One answer usually led to another question.
Long admits he was not always the easiest student to teach.
"I made it very difficult on my mom to be my teacher because I was kind of hounding her with questions," he said with a laugh.
Science became the subject that kept his attention. Biology, chemistry, astronomy, and mathematics all interested him. Eventually, one field seemed to connect the rest.
"The one bridge to every science, I decided, was probably physics," Long said.
After high school, Long knew he wanted to continue his education. A large university felt like too much, too soon. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) offered what he was looking for: a campus close to home, affordable courses, and the support he needed as a first-generation college student.
"It felt more digestible than going all the way straight to a university," Long said.
Still, his first day on campus brought a reminder of how different college would be.
"I walked in, and I was like, 'I haven't sat at a desk since second grade,'" he said.
Why EICC?
The classrooms were different. The routines were different. So were the opportunities.
Long quickly found himself spending more time on campus than he expected.
Between classes, he could often be found in the Scott Community College (SCC) Science Commons with a group of friends who studied, talked, solved Rubik's Cubes, and filled the space with what they eventually called "The Common Chaos."
The name fit. So did the community.
"Coming to Scott was definitely a culture shock," Long said. "But once I got involved and started meeting people, it became a lot easier to feel like I belonged here."
Long joined Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and eventually became president of SCC's Beta Zeta Epsilon chapter. He also found ways to stay involved across campus, from tutoring classmates to volunteering through the American Sign Language Club.
One student Long encouraged to become a PTK officer later spoke at the Iowa Capitol in support of community colleges.
For Long, helping other students grow became one of the most rewarding parts of leadership.
"Watching how my time has been able to influence everyone else's life has been by far the most interesting part," Long said. "To see how much my time matters."
Why Not?
At Vibrant Arena at The MARK, Long walked in alongside college leadership, took his seat on stage and waited to deliver the student commencement address.
It was the first commencement ceremony he had ever attended. Now, he was preparing to address hundreds of graduates and their families.
"Coming to Scott as an awkward, insecure, homeschooled kid, I never would've imagined myself up here," he told the crowd.
Public speaking was not something Long grew up practicing.
"I didn't exactly get much experience public speaking while homeschooled," he said in his speech, "as there isn't much of a public to talk to in my living room."
When asked later how he found the courage to accept the opportunity, Long's answer was simple.
"If I didn't do it, I know I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
In his speech, Long encouraged graduates to talk to people, get involved, and step outside their comfort zones.
It was advice he had already followed.
At EICC, Long found small classrooms, faculty who knew him, friends through clubs, classmates to mentor, and opportunities that pushed him further than he expected to go.
Near the end of his speech, he thanked the communities that helped shape him: his family, his friends, PTK, Chick-fil-A, his church family, and the faculty who invested in him.
"Life lived communally is such a beautiful part of the human experience," he told graduates.
This fall, Long will transfer to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where he plans to pursue a double major in physics and philosophy with a minor in astronomy.
His long-term goal is to earn a doctorate and become a physics professor.
"Being able to connect with somebody and help watch them grow," Long said. "I just enjoy teaching."
For Long, college answered some questions.
It also gave him better ones.
Someday, he hopes to bring those questions into a classroom of his own.
And if history is any indication, there will still be one more.