MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS

An aspiring human rights lawyer, wielding tools from mathematics and philosophy
Ana Reyes Sanchez '22 has long been drawn to ethics, decision-making, and rationality.
 


Ana Reyes Sanchez '22; photo by Gretchen Ertl

“I enjoy the branch of philosophy that looks at decisions and rationality," Sanchez says, "and that tends to involve a lot of math!”  She says philosophy has also given her tools to develop plans for action in the world. Looking forward, she envisions law school and work on human rights issues.


Gallery | Meet the MIT Bilinguals

 


Excerpt from MIT News

Ana Reyes Sanchez '22 and her family sat in the living room, watching a movie together, just like any other night. Although she can’t recall which movie it was, she remembers seeing a shot of MIT’s Great Dome surrounded by students, and declaring, “I’m gonna go there!” Her parents smiled, thinking little of what that their 7-year-old daughter had just said. Little did they know, this childhood dream would become a reality for their child.

Born in Mexico City, Reyes Sanchez moved to Minnesota when she was 5 years old. Although she didn’t speak much English at the time, she and her sister were able to adjust because of the many international programs offered through the Mayo Clinic, where her father worked. After living there for about five years, her family moved to Arizona for six more years, then eventually landed in San Diego.

Because she moved around so much, Reyes Sanchez learned to appreciate consistency, which is how she fell in love with math. She appreciated the universality of the subject; it was a form of stability in her constantly mobile world.

Reyes Sanchez thought she would mainly study math at MIT, and was delighted to discover MIT's outstanding philosophy department. An initial decision to take a few philosophy classes led to a concentration, then a minor; ultimately she declared a double major in philosophy and mathematics.
 

Full profile at MIT News
 

Suggested links

MIT Philosophy

Social Justice Programming and Cross-Cultural Engagement (SPXCE)

Ethics and AI at MIT

The Tech

Gallery | Meet the MIT Bilinguals