David Roe

As a child, I used to stay up until the early hours of the morning reading novels. That hasn’t changed much, though now I don’t have to hide under the covers from my parents. I complemented these novels with plays in school: I read them, performed them and eventually directed them. Of these plays, Shakespeare’s were among my favorites, primarily because of his wonderful language. At MIT, I continued exploring these interests by majoring in literature, focusing on drama and poetry. I found the classes fun, the professors friendly and helpful, and the environment very welcoming.

I am now starting my first year as a graduate student in mathematics at Harvard. Even though I’m no longer actively pursuing literary studies, my interest in reading and discussing plays and novels still remains. And many years of English papers have taught me to write, a skill that will prove crucial in the coming years. I leave MIT’s literature department with fond memories.