Student Story: Valeria Robayo, 2023

Background

Valeria is a current junior at MIT majoring in course 15-1 (Management) and double minoring in German and Biology. She was born in Bogotá, Columbia and grew up in Houston, Texas.

When asked why she chose MIT, she stated that she liked the mixture of the culture and opportunities. “MIT has a collaborative nature and the most prestigious labs to conduct research in.” Additionally, she liked the travel opportunities, the rigor of the institution, how everyone takes their goals seriously, and the people.

A Busy Semester at MIT

Being on a pre-med track keeps Valeria busy every semester with a diverse set of classes across multiple disciplines: management, German, biology. She keeps a work-life balance by running on the river. Currently, she works as TA for MIT’s introductory biology class and working on her COVID-related mobile app with the support of the Sandbox Healthcare Innovation Program. All her hard work is paying off, because she was recently named the Reimagine Challenge winner for her mobile app in the spring of 2021.

Work Outside of MIT

Valeria has spent her summers pursuing internships that revolved around the human-centered side of healthcare.  She was a part of the very popular MIT Washington Summer Internship Program, worked in the U.S. Government Accountability Office on their Health Care team, and also spent her IAP interning with the Autism Program at Boston Medical Center. Last year, she also assisted in research projects at the Health Decisions Sciences Center at Mass General.

Future and Advice

After MIT, Valeria wants to attend medical school and pursue an MD/MBA. She loves medicine and has a particular interest in addressing healthcare problems on the management side.

When asked what career advice she would give to current students at MIT, Valeria mentioned that the most important thing is to have a plan for what you want to accomplish and how you plan on getting there. Additionally, she recommends seeking out advice from mentors to help you along the way.

Valeria is almost finished wrapping up her time at MIT, and CAPD can’t wait to see where she goes and support her along the way.

By Ashley Ann Thomas
Ashley Ann Thomas Social Media Marketing Manager