“After having great conversations with the coaches and swimmers here, I could really see myself at MIT,” she says, “but I also chose to come here because it was affordable for me and my family.” The Arthur J. Samberg Scholarship was a critical part of that support, she says. After graduation, Spears will spend an extra year on campus to complete a master’s in city planning.
The universality of urban planning
I didn’t know what urban planning was coming into school, but learned about it in a first-year advising seminar about environmental justice with Justin Steil, an associate professor of law and urban planning. We discussed issues like climate justice and energy in small groups. While I was enjoying my math classes, I liked going to that seminar every day where everything wasn’t so black and white, and where we were thinking about how other people are impacted by our actions.
I ultimately chose urban planning as my major because of the human aspect—everyone has experienced urban planning issues. I’ve really enjoyed bringing what I’m studying in the classroom to the table to include other people in the conversation.
Lessons from abroad
After my sophomore year, I did a two-week MISTI (MIT Global Initiatives) trip to Venice, Italy, where we learned about biodiversity in their salt marshes and made a hypothetical city plan. It was neat to think about urban planning in a totally different context. That was my first trip abroad, so I also learned about how world travel works and how to be in a new culture for the first time. During Independent Activities Period (IAP) in 2024, I went to London with a literature class, 21L.591 Literary London, where we read authors including Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf. It was a wonderful experience to focus on literature apart from everything else at MIT—the backdrop and Professor Diana Henderson’s enthusiasm made everything exciting. I just can’t say enough good things about the trip.
Resources and relationships
My first year at MIT was a roller coaster. I sought out a lot of resources and tutoring, so as a sophomore, I became a Resident Peer Mentor, an informal resource for new students and other residents. I wanted to make sure that incoming students and the others living in my dorm knew where to go if they needed help.
Swimming has also been a huge part of my journey and helped with the transition to MIT life. During IAP, especially, we would have intensive practices and team dinners where we’d really get to bond. We traveled during the season, but since MIT has one of the best facilities in the Northeast for Division III swimming, a lot of teams would come here to compete. I was on the team for two years, and now I get to go to their meets and cheer for some of my closest friends.
THE WHOLE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“Getting Involved in Extracurriculars was Crucial for Me”
Raj Mehta ’24 advocates for MIT students’ putting their “eggs in a bunch of baskets”
THE WHOLE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“I Learn Something New in Every Conversation with My Peers”
From student government to academic research, Julia Schneider ’26 has immersed herself in an array of MIT opportunities
THE WHOLE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“I Didn’t Expect People to Be So Kind and Compassionate”
At MIT, Cesar Meza ’25 discovered his community—and the importance of charting his own path
THE WHOLE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
A Desire “to Make Change on the Issues I Care About”
Iselle Barrios ’25 looks to apply her STEM knowledge at the policy level
THE WHOLE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“Intellectual Freedom Was Part of What Made Me Fall in Love with Research”
Desmond Edwards ’22 is interested in translating medicine for a wider audience