When people hear about MIT, some think of a superhero movie, others think of the university's prestige in innovation and research, and still others imagine that the people who study there are just nerds who spend all day studying.
When I was in my junior year of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Monterrey Tech back in 2018, I had the opportunity to participate in a national competition run by the MIT Sustainable Logistics Initiative (now part of the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain). I never imagined that agreeing to participate in that project would lead me to spend my senior year as a Visiting Student working for Dr. Josué Velazquez Martínez and learning about the MIT Supply Chain Management program.
In my first weeks of 2019 at CTL, I confirmed that the students do spend all day studying, but they also dedicate part of their time to creating memories together and supporting each other whenever needed. It was then that I decided that, regardless of the results of the Supply Chain Excellence Award, I had to make it my goal to be part of the program in the future. After finding out that I was the scholarship winner and seeing my family receive the recognition, I knew I had to start my plan to fulfill the promise I made to the team at my last monthly lunch: ‘I’ll be back for my master’s in a couple of years, so I’ll see you soon”.
So here we are in 2025, halfway through the program, after taking the MicroMasters courses in Supply Chain Management, talking with alumni to learn more about their experience, and learning about the supply chain in areas like procurement, replenishment, inventory, and warehousing at the largest home improvement retail company in Mexico.
Dr. María de Jesús Saenz wasn’t kidding during orientation. MIT truly lives up to its ‘drinking from the firehose’ reputation—p-sets, case studies, conferences, and exams are relentless. But amidst the intensity, there’s another vibrant reality: creating unforgettable memories and leaving a lasting footprint. Every student has a different way to approach it, so next I will give you a little bit about a day in my life as an MIT SCM student. There’s no single ‘right’ way to experience MIT SCM. I’ll give you a snapshot of my day if you’d like to see how one student navigates it.
10:00 – 11:30
My day kicks off with Dr. Eva Ponce's E-commerce Omnichannel Strategy class. Today, we dove right in with a quick quiz, followed by a lively discussion of key takeaways from our previous session with industry speaker Vik Gopalakrishnan, VP SC Engineering at Walmart. Today, we also tackled commercial returns and circular supply chains. This elective is a highlight for me—it's packed with real-world case studies and insights from industry experts, giving us a deep dive into effective omnichannel strategies.
11:30 – 12:30
As class representatives, Tejveer, Ginny, and I meet bi-weekly with Dr. Saénz. We collaborate on upcoming plans, share student feedback, and brainstorm innovative ways to enhance the SCM program experience for our community.
12:30 – 12:50
12:50 – 1:00: Lunchtime! A much-needed pause to recharge and connect with friends. We swap experiences, share laughs, and enjoy each other's company. It's a heartwarming reminder that the SCM community is a supportive family, a home away from home.
12:50 – 1:00
Joining Tejaswini, Bharti, and Anshuman for the walk to class. Since some of our courses are on the main campus this semester, walking through the Infinite Corridor is a tangible reminder – a 'yes, I'm at MIT' moment.
1:00 – 2:30
Global Supply Chain Management class with Dr. Sean Willems. In this class, we learned that using heuristics is a valuable approach for approximating real-world problems, and that we can continuously refine our solutions through practical implementation and observation.
3:00 – 3:30 (Not pictured) Quick Zoom check-in with Justin Snow, our SCM Career Development & Alumni Relations Counselor, to get some recruiting tips and strategize for my job search.
3:55 – 4:00
A quick walk with Elisa and Marie before our next class, a chance to catch our breath, make weekend plans, and remind ourselves that there's more to life than just studying (even at MIT!)
4:00 – 5:30
Time for Data Science & Machine Learning for Supply Chain Management Lab with Dr. Elenna Dugundji and Dr. Thomas Koch! You will always find SCM students discussing and supporting each other with our projects and finding different ways to improve our coding skills.
In this week after ‘drinking from the firehouse’, I will always remember the Friday night party with friends in one of the grad houses, celebrating my fiancé’s birthday with our closest friends on Saturday and finishing the famous Boston’s Freedom trail on Sunday.
This is just a glimpse into my world at MIT. Your journey will be filled with its own unique adventures and memories. Don’t forget to enjoy every moment with your SCM family and explore all that student life has to offer, especially on weekends! These experiences will stay with you and be part of the footprint that you are living here!
