laelia soares texeira

   Laelia Isabel Soares Texeira was born on the evening of May 30th, 1989 to two bewildered parents. Though they're second child, and second girl, it was still a miracle to the couple; Ana experienced little to no complications this time around, unlike her first when she had to be admitted to the hospital twice for fear of losing the child. However, this wasn't fate's way of foreshadowing Laelia's childhood as something like smooth sailing.

   From the get-go, Laelia was a strong willed and determined little girl. Whether it was learning to walk, learning to speak, or just plain feed herself, she didn't stop until she got it right. Even during her days in elementary school, Laelia had a mind of her own. Rather than play with the children her own age, she'd lock herself into her room, turning household items into science experiments and building a miniature replica of the solar system. She dreamed of the days that she'd be the one to walk on the moon or find the cure for cancer.

   At age 10, Laelia's family moved from San Diego to Belgrade, Me - a sorely out-of-date town filled with rednecks and those alike. It wasn't her cup of tea, but it didn't effect the way she handled herself on a day to day basis. Always the introvert, Laelia kept to herself and her studies, counting down the days until she could get out of the quiet country town and into the big city.

   During her formative years, Laelia took a serious interest in the world of physics. While her school didn't have a specific class dedicated to the study, she managed to teach herself enough that she was honored the chanced to take an independent study rather than a language class, seeing as she was both fluent in english and portuguese.

   In the midst of her junior-to-senior summer, her cousin, Cale, only a year older than herself, was apparently kicked out by his own family but taken in by her own. The reason being wasn't immediately clear or understood, but he was welcomed with open arms and open minds. Cale and Laelia grew close in the few years that they spent together, and her heart shattered the day that he left.

   Laelia was afforded the opportunity to attend M.I.T. and she took it without a second thought. Though she'd take every chance to visit her family when she could, Laelia wanted out of the backwoods of Maine and into the bright lights of the city. It wasn't until Laelia's mom, Ana, was diagnosed with cancer did she really take the time off to be at home.

   It was a downhill battle for Ana, but one that she fought valiantly for a year until the cancer took her. Laelia was completely lost, angry, even moreso at her cousin that didn't even show up to the funeral despite all that had transpired between her family and him. After much convincing, Laelia returned back to school, throwing herself into her work.

   She graduated from M.I.T. with a dual-masters in Astrophysics and Astronomy. The hardwork and hardship paid off, but Laelia returned home to while she debated her next move. It wasn't uncommon for a person to take a year off before re-entering the academic atmosphere and given all that she's gone through and set aside to accomplish her goals, it wasn't much of a choice to her as it was exactly what she needed.

   Laelia stayed in Maine for some time, helping her father out running the house and the farm, making sure he was all set, but the big city called her name and she couldn't escape the notion that it was where she belonged. A few months ago, Laelia was presented with the opportunity to submit her resume to the Hayden Planetarium, thanks to the good word of her Professors at M.I.T. She was recently chosen as the Assistant to the director of daily operations; she considered it to be a step in the right direction, especially while she was taking time off before going for phd.