Friday, February 3, 2023
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Idea
  • Submit Event
  • Calendar
Arlington Today Magazine
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • People
    • Community
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
    • Uncategorized
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • People
    • Community
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
    • Uncategorized
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Arlington Today Magazine

Chapter 2: Trinity Stallins and Samantha Maldonado are overcoming challenges at MIT

ArlingtonToday Magazine by ArlingtonToday Magazine
November 1, 2020
in People
0 0
0
Chapter 2: Trinity Stallins and Samantha Maldonado are overcoming challenges at MIT
0
SHARES
379
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Texas Health Resource Breast Care Oct 2020

When last we checked in on Trinity Stallins and Samantha Maldonado in the June 2019 cover story, the Arlington Martin STEM engineers were preparing for studies at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here’s an update on the students, now sophomores – during a pandemic, no less …

Stallins says her experience has been filled with “learning things I never thought I’d want to know, trying things I never thought to try, and being supported more than I knew I could be. This is the first semester we have grades, so there’s a lot more pressure now than there was last year. The switch to online classes [because of COVID precautions] has definitely been an adjustment, but I don’t have a ‘normal’ semester to compare it to. I do know that I’m lucky it’s a small school because I have people I know in all of my classes which made finding virtual study groups much easier.”

Related posts

February 2, 2023

December 3, 2022

Maldonado echoes that assessment. “School’s looking a bit rough right now,” she says. “Currently, it’s midterm season, so everybody is swamped with studying for those and balancing everything else going on. In regard to how the pandemic has affected the way students learn, all of my classes are remote. It sometimes feels like this has led to having to do more work than if I were taking classes in person, but MIT has let us put one class on pass/no record, which takes the stress off.”

Stallins has a double major: Urban Planning and Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Global Development. She came to the school not even knowing about Urban Planning but became intrigued during her first semester, “and I’m really excited to pursue it.” Maldonado, likewise, has a double major, in Political Science and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, “Currently, I’d say I am further into my EECS major since I entered MIT with that focus in mind, planning to take those classes,” she says. “It was not until this summer that I decided to switch course from a STEM career path into one of law.”

COVID has even affected living arrangements for the two students. Because all classes are still online, only seniors are required to live on/near campus. Stallins lives in a house that is a two-hour drive from MIT in western Massachusetts with two other MIT students and one from American University. Maldonado chose to continue the semester from her home in Arlington. As might be expected from all the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic, both students have found their MIT experiences challenging. “Yes, it’s difficult, yes, it can be frustrating, but everyone around me understands the workload and is there for words of support, or to be silly for a little bit so we can take a break from the pressure we put on ourselves,” Stallins says.

Maldonado calls it a roller coaster. “I met so many great people my freshman year and was able to adjust well to the course load,” she says. “Finding out we were getting kicked out of campus and sent home mid-spring was definitely a shocker. Having to re-adjust to working and being as productive at home as I was on campus has been a bit of a struggle. But being sent home and having experiences here over the summer made me realize I was far more interested in making an impact in government than STEM.”

Despite the inconsistency of the learning environment, both women have experienced academic highlights, notably through a learning community, Terrascope, through which freshmen are tasked with finding a proposal for a challenge. Stallins and Maldonado were charged with making hurricane relief in Puerto Rico quicker, more sustainable, and more equitable. They spent the fall organizing about 50 students and studying community centers to propose a standard for them for hurricane response. During the spring, with the same learning community, Stallins designed a mechanically powered doorbell for the deaf community for hurricane response, and made a radio program about the changing social dynamics caused by the pandemic.

Maldonado, meanwhile, earned an undergraduate Research Position with the Political Science Department dealing with the spread of misinformation. “I literally get paid to study conspiracy theories,” she says.

Though they don’t get to spend time together this term, both women are grateful they have each other for the latest round of academic challenges. “They say college is about reinventing yourself,” Stallins says, “but it is comforting to have someone there who knows more of what you’ve been through.”

Related Posts

  • Trinity King Living Her Dream On the Golf Course

    Arlington Martin Standout Trinity King Living Her Dream On the Golf Course https://youtu.be/n5GEjKC6enw Martin High…

  • Here's to the Kids!

    How the Trinity Sports Foundation - and a genuine Field of Dreams - came to…

  • Freedom personified

    Andy Nguyen regularly tackles government and social issues like health care, transportation, education, justice, public…

Tags: MIT Students
UTA April 2020

Follow Us

  • But first   coffee    The Arlington Dunkin    located at 5801 Office Park Dr  today announced it will help keep the community running with a happy hour celebration offer throughout the remainder of August  Every day beginning now through Monday  August 31  guests can power through the rest of the month and receive a FREE  Medium Hot or Iced Coffee with any purchase from 2-6 PM   On behalf of local Arlington Dunkin    franchisee  Hiren Patel  Dunkin    is proud to keep Arlington running throughout the month of August
  • Nothing soothes the soul like a trip to the Majestic Smoky Mountains  Read all about the Greene family   s    COVID-cation    and travel safety in the link in our bio
  • Read the latest message from UTA   s interim president  Teik C  Lim  by clicking the link in our bio
  • The City of Arlington announces Unity Council  Read all about this positive way for the city in the link in our bio
  • Here   s to the All Stars  Click the link in our bio to find the complete list of Arlington Today   s 2020 All Star businesses in over 160 categories
  • Put DFW Restaurant week on YOUR calendar  Support your favorite Arlington and local DFW restaurants this August 31-September 6 during restaurant week    For more info and participating restaurants  click the link in our bio
  • This Arlington radio station is making movie magic   Read all about Crystal Vasquez and her upcoming documentary about local radio station     The Ticket     by clicking the link in our bio
  • With the school year starting soon  it   s important to know what   s going on  Read all about AISD and MISD   s back to school plans in the link in our bio
  • August is for the All Stars        Click the link in our bio to read our latest edition of Arlington Today and check out your local All  Star businesses
  • 12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film

    12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • March Scene

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Visionary Who Didn’t Give Up

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boot-scootin’ Boogie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • In case of emergency: Mansfield Fire Department introduces the ‘Vial of Life’ initiative to keep residents on the ready

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Arlington Today Magazine

Arlington Texas Area News and Events Magazine

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • (no title)
  • (no title)
  • (no title)

Category

  • Arlington News
  • Business and Education
  • Commentary
  • Community
  • Design and Interiors
  • Featured
  • People
  • Scene
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness

Recent News

February 3, 2023

February 3, 2023
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Idea
  • Submit Event
  • Calendar

© 2022 Arlington Today - Designed by Advent Trinity Marketing Agency Web Design

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • Community
    • People
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Arlington Today - Designed by Advent Trinity Marketing Agency Web Design

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add Arlington Today Magazine to your Homescreen!

Add