What were you doing before LGO and why did you decide that LGO was the next step for you?
After graduating from Harvard University I became a Software Engineer at Capital One working in their Fraud Space. We built data pipelines that would process credit card transaction data and infer whether or not a specific transaction was fraudulent. My favorite parts of my job involved designing the digital applications as well as leading initiatives around those applications to ensure that our credit cards were always available and secure. I felt like LGO was a perfect continuation of that work. I wanted to continue building skills in technical product development and leadership which the LGO program offers a lot of opportunities in.
How was the LGO Summer and transitioning back into school?
As one of the younger LGOs my transition back to school was very normal. Most of the transition involved getting used to the rigorous nature of an MIT education. The LGO summer exemplifies that very well. The summer is highly intensive. You spend a lot of time learning about operations, statistics, probability, Python and optimization all at the same time which is no easy feat. The LGO summer asks a lot of you academically and without the support of my core team (TEAM 6 ❤️), I would’ve struggled. My core team was absolutely brilliant! I spent many days and nights with them struggling through homework and also bonding over similar interests (we all apparently like Brookline Lunch – a must try brunch spot in Cambridge). In general the LGO summer was a highly rewarding and impactful time of my life that I will definitely never forget.
What is your favorite memory from your time at MIT?
There are so many memories that I have made in less than a year! The fact that our class is so close helps a lot because you end up spending a lot of time with people who share so many similar interests to you. One of the highlights is definitely Domestic Plant Trek (DPT). The Trek lasted most of January and we got the opportunity to explore the operations of so many companies while also spending more time as an LGO class. Also, as a student not born in the U.S., I got to see many states that I have never been to before. My favorite stop on the trek was Caterpillar in Tucson, Arizona. We learned so much about the intersection of artificial intelligence and construction at Caterpillar all while they put on a “monster truck” show just for our LGO class. It demonstrated how much the partner companies care about LGO as well as how much they care about us learning about how technology can be applied in industry.
What are you still looking forward to exploring at MIT?
There are many opportunities that I can’t wait to explore at MIT. Academically, I want to continue going to talks from academics such as Professor Randall Davis who are spearheading the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning spaces. The fields are growing exponentially every day and so to have the world’s best professors presenting their cutting edge research allows for me to stay up to date with industry trends. Outside of academics I want to take part in an MIT Hack which is a university wide prank that occurs a few times a year. Some of the crazy pranks that have occurred before include putting a police car on the dome and pranking Harvard (which I cannot endorse as an alum). I am not sure how to partake in one yet but I will be asking around to see how to contribute to MIT history.
How have you engaged with affinity groups or diversity initiatives while at MIT?
Within LGO I joined the Active Allyship Committee and the New Student Recruiting Committees which has enabled me to bring DE&I to the forefront of the program. In addition to advocating and supporting the recruitment of diverse candidates to the LGO program, I have also been sharing MIT-wide events that highlight diversity with my class to give other LGOs the opportunity to engage with events put on by students of other cultures. I also want to highlight the recently created LGO URM Alumni steering group that was a great support group when I was an adMIT. They helped answer a lot of the questions around DE&I and have been a great way for me to engage with alumni who come from similar backgrounds as me. Within Sloan I am a part of the Black Business Association (BBSA) which has also been a great support group for me. Similar to the LGO URM Alumni steering group, the BBSA reached out to me when I was an adMIT to ensure that I would be welcome and comfortable within the Sloan community. In general LGO, Sloan, and MIT have been great places to engage in DE&I.
What are your hopes for the future of diversity in LGO and in industry?
I hope LGO can continue to increase the diversity of their incoming classes for years to come. Increasing the financial, gender, racial, and cultural diversity of the students that the program admits makes for more representative classes of LGOs. Also coming from the tech industry, which tends to have problems with diversity on all fronts, it is important that a program like LGO encourages diversity because it is the program that creates the leaders of these industries.
Do you have any advice for prospective students thinking about applying?
For all applicants I strongly recommend letting your personality come across in your applications. One of the things I have noticed about the LGO class is the unique sense of community that we all share. I think that comes from the fact that many LGOs share similar values. So when you are applying really take the time to introspect and find out who you are. Understand what is important to you and then let that self-reflection come through in your application. Whether you let it come across in your video or in your essays, giving the admissions committee an understanding of who you are, where you come from, and what your values are is the best way for them to understand whether or not you are a good fit for the LGO program.
