I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Sofi Peterson for being accepted to MIT. Fifty-eight years ago, as a student at Monterey Union High School, I was one of five Californians to be accepted to that august institute and vividly recall how elated I was the day I opened the letter that read, “We are happy to inform you … ”
Most interesting to me was that Peterson chose MIT because it was evenly split between girls and boys. There were no girls at MIT when I attended in 1958, and even though there was one the following year, she was soon gone after getting pregnant. To hear that women now comprise 50 percent of the incoming class is an amazing statement about how far we, as a society, have come.
In 1958, the prevailing idea was that women had minds that were not interested in science or math. Fortunately, that left-brain, right-brain hypothesis has been proven to be a myth. Today, women contribute half the articles in Scientific American. In fact, Mariette DiChristina, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, is a woman.
Peterson, you are about to be tossed into a salad bowl of some of the most gifted minds on the planet. You were chosen, not just because you are a female, but because of merit. You and our county have much to be proud of. Best of luck.
Howard Ziehm