At first glance, aerospace engineering and brain and cognitive sciences may seem like an unlikely match for a double-major. But for Elissa Gibson ’22, the common thread connecting the two inherently different disciplines is clear: the human factor, by way of aviation.
A lifelong love of airplanes helped Gibson discover the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science, or MITES (formerly known as the Office of Engineering Outreach Programs), which helped carve a direct pathway to MIT. There, the Institute’s culture of infinite possibilities made it possible to pursue a unique double-major, obtain her pilot’s license in the span of a single summer break, discover her passion for community-building and mentoring Black students, and shadow surgeons in a South African hospital as part of MISTI-Africa post-graduation.
