History has been made at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the 159-year old institution just crossed a major diversity milestone by electing its first black woman student body president.
According to the school newspaper, The Tech where the result of the election was published earlier this month, MIT’s Undergraduate Association announced sophomore mechanical engineering major Danielle Geathers as the winner of the institute’s “first contested UA presidential election since 2017.
Asking if the UA president was a figurehead role during the debate, Daniella told The Tech. “I think no, but minimally, a black female in that role will squash every perception that MIT is still mostly white and male. Minimally, the immediate image of that will make MIT a more welcoming and inclusive place.”
Diversity in higher education has always been a social issue within the country when it comes to who gets access to the country’s most elite school. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is considered one of the most elite schools in the country and around the world.
During the campaign, Daniella and her running mate, Yu Jing Chen launched a website and had this inscription on the homepage “For many MIT students, the UA ceases to mean much. For the past 3 years, elections were uncontested and last year, only 15% of the undergraduate population voted in the UA presidential elections.
Congratulations Danielle, We salute you.
