Cecilia Perez Gago

What’ve you enjoyed most about your area of study? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

French has opened my life to a whole new set of connections and friendships – it has allowed me to communicate with new people and to enjoy new sources of entertainment. It has also allowed me to tap into a whole new literary world, and as a book lover having a whole new set of books to read with new dynamics and cultural undertones has been incredible. My French literature class has shown me that a 600-page book can be well worth your effort, and it can teach you much more than you would have thought. Some of my favorite times in the department have been spent reading and analyzing French literature books.

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT?

The Aerospace industry in the US is pretty closed-off to internationals, but as a European citizen, the world of French aerospace could be an incredible direction for my future. Knowing French, paired with an MIT education in Aeroastro would make me a good candidate in the future for employment in Europe, which has been a very important door for me to open in order to feel secure in my future.

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life?

Again, working as an engineer in Europe knowing English, Spanish, and French, plus having worked with people from all over the world all throughout undergrad would make me an asset to companies looking for different types of talent. The learnings I gathered from classes but also from my classmates and the connections I formed with their cultures and languages will be invaluable to my future as a well rounded professional.

What are your plans for the future?

I am starting my grad-school work in AeroAstro and hope to get my degrees within the next few years. After graduate school I’d like to work in industry and live somewhere calm, with plenty of access to nature.