
The After by Kirsten L. '15
In a couple months, I’ll be back in Cambridge after 10 years of taking those first steps through Lobby 7 as a prefrosh. The inevitable soul searching happening as I try and remember what has happened since then.
What is life like after MIT?
Same same and different.
I’m still an engineer, working in the machine that is Big Tech. My day to day involves a lot less work on psets, a lot more talking with people, and probably the same amount of time spent in CAD. I’m still hacking it out here in the world of product design, so thank you DPD for exposing me to my future career⚙️! I have been able to ship a few products that are out there in the real world, and the feeling of making something that gets used around the world never stops being 🤯.
My job has given me the opportunity to travel internationally, which then enabled fun leisure travel. I’ve been able to keep in touch with some of my friends who I met at the other Cambridge 🇬🇧(RIP CME). Michael C. and I even travelled together to Tanzania for a safari- definitely a core memory.
I feel lucky to call San Francisco my home. My community here still skews heavily from my MIT ties- a very present reminder of the bonds that tie us back to a place that simultaneously felt like hell and heaven (Though nostalgia tends to skew things heavier to the latter). I see the drive and ambition we had as students directed to new goals and projects- like starting new companies or families. I’ve also been to 10 MIT weddings in the last 5 years from various college friends. I’ve loved getting to be a part of my friend’s next steps in lives, and those weekends make me realize how special and precious friendship is.
Every year, the same group of friends I met in Maseeh gathers on zoom for our annual Secret Santa exchange. We’ve done this every year since we were freshmen, and now look forward to sharing our annual updates!
A couple of months ago, I got married to my best friend- who I met at work and still get to work close to (but not too closely) every day. Funnily enough, he grew up 20 minutes away from where I lived in Georgia. Planning our wedding was the biggest, most rewarding project I’ve taken on since graduating. Balancing everyone’s constraints while holding our own vision was tough, but we were really proud of how everything turned out (for anyone planning a wedding, I promise it’s worth it). My bridesmaids were all 15s who live in SF, friends who continue to be an inspiration and support throughout my life.
Life progresses slower after MIT.
Less drinking from a firehose, and more figuring out how to find inspiration without the pressure of the firehose. The problems are bigger and more impactful (finding a job, navigating team changes, making a home), but getting to a solution follows the same process from school. I feel like the same person I did when I graduated, but more confident and less stressed about working through the things life throws my way.
That’s been my life after MIT. Looking forward to being back there in June!