𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. Henri Kagan’s path to scientific greatness was anything but straightforward. Born near Paris in 1930, his childhood was shaped by World War II, when his family sought refuge in southern France under assumed names. Back at school, Kagan recalled being “not what you would call a good student.” He began on a literary track before discovering his fascination with mathematics, physics and chemistry. The road remained bumpy: he initially planned to become an engineer and failed his first entrance exam to chemistry school. He tried again, and succeeded. That persistence and curiosity eventually helped Kagan become a pioneer of asymmetric catalysis, transforming scientists’ ability to create chiral molecules. In 2001, Kagan shared the Wolf Prize in Chemistry with Ryoji Noyori and K. Barry Sharpless. As Kagan later said: “One of the interests of research is to go toward the unknown, and to be attentive to the unexpected.” A fitting description of his own journey. – at Jacinto City, TX