Not pictured: Alex Tran and Annie Phan
MEET THE TEAM
Bethany Cates
MIT '19 | Physics
Hi! I'm Bethany, and I hail from the frigid land of Buffalo, New York. I'm a junior at MIT, ostensibly majoring in physics, though I hope to go into climate or energy policy work after I graduate. Like any good Buffalonian, my interests include Tim Horton's, Wegmans, and being entirely too emotionally dependent on the success the Buffalo Bills. In my free time I like going on long bike rides, and in my freer time going on backpacking trips. At MIT I've been involved with several groups, including sMITe (the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team), UWIP (Undergraduate Women in Physics), and the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble. While I've biked a lot in and around Boston and Buffalo, I've never been on a multi-day biking trip; needless to say I am thrilled (and a little bit terrified!) to take on the challenge of Spokes this summer.
Matthew Luerman
MIT '19 | Aerospace Engineering
Hi there! My name is Matthew and I am currently a Junior at MIT studying aerospace engineering. I love all things air and space, and I'm thrilled by the opportunity to share my passion for STEM as we work our way toward my home state of California (stay classy, San Diego)! I'm looking forward to working with such an awesome team, and can't wait to get started on this adventure! I enjoy spending time outdoors, whether that means going for a run on heading out on a backpacking trip. This summer is going to be pretty different, but I am excited for the challenge ahead. I'll see you on the road.
Lisa Peng
MIT '21 | Electrical Engineering + CS
Hello! My name is Lisa! I’m a freshman at MIT from Livingston, NJ. I mainly grew up in New Jersey but I also lived in Shanghai, China for a few years, where I developed great haggling and street-crossing skills! When I’m not learning about circuits and differential equations at MIT, I’m dancing on MIT’s two competitive hip hop teams, MIT Ridonkulous and Mocha Moves. In high school, I was on an all-girls robotics team, where we frequently organized community outreach events to show the kids and families in our town about the exciting things we were doing. I’m excited to get really tan this summer and meet amazing people across the country! Literally!
Delia Stephens
MIT '21 | Aerospace Engineering
Howdy! I’m Delia, a freshman at MIT from Austin, Texas. I’ve lived in Austin my whole life, so I’m still working on adjusting to Boston winters. When I’m not freezing on my way to class, I’m playing field hockey for the MIT team, crashing drones, or cooking (and then eating) dangerously large quantities of food. I also love taking pictures, so expect some photographic evidence of this crazy trip! I’ve never done anything like this cross country journey before, so I’m really excited to be in the great outdoors, wandering across the country and showing kids just how awesome STEM can be.
An Jimenez
MIT '21 | Computer Science and Engineering
Hello, world! My name is An (like on/off), and I’m a freshman at MIT! Although I almost consider Boston my home, I was born in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois and grew up in Dallas, Texas. My father is from Spain and my mother from Singapore, and because we have no family in the United States (minus Aunt Eunice in Vermont), I've been international traveling since I was 4 months old. Besides traveling, I love playing instruments (piano, violin, ukulele), teaching Zumba, shopping at Costco Wholesale, and exploring new restaurants and cuisines. At MIT, I'm involved in the Society of Women Engineers, greek life, MIT Theater Arts, and DanceTroupe. This cross-country excursion will be perhaps my greatest physical feat of all time, and I’m excited (and nervous) to take on the challenge. I'll be documenting my experiences on this blog, so come along the journey with my team and I from state to state!
Kate Pearce
MIT '21 | Biological Engineering
Hello! My name is Kate, and I’m a freshman at MIT. I’ve lived most of my life in Glencoe, IL (a small Chicago suburb). I was born in Colorado, though, and love hiking in the mountains. At MIT, I play on the women’s club soccer team and work in a cancer research lab. Also, I work as a math mentor for Girls’ Angle, a math club for girls. I must admit that I’m a Fitbit addict and love walking everywhere and anywhere. I love exploring Boston and going on random adventures. This adventure of biking and teaching across the US will definitely be my biggest yet! I’m so excited to meet everyone along the way and explore this beautiful country by bike!
Alex Tran
MIT '21 | Undecided
Hey everyone, my name is Alex and I am a freshman at MIT! Hailing from the Tran line, my family is Vietnamese. Second of my generation, I was born in Los Angeles and moved to Houston although I still consider both to be my home. Aside from that, I like to play soccer and am interested in cooking, film, and Turkish culture. At MIT, I am involved in greek life, Code for Good, and am planning on starting a UROP for prosthetics soon. After coming to MIT, I realized that I am really passionate about education. These 70 or so days would be an amazing way to see the country while being an awesome way to keep teaching and biking again.
Annie Phan
MIT '17 | Electrical Engineering + CS