Danielle Geathers, who is completing her sophomore year in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was elected president of the student body. She is the first African American woman to be elected student body president at MIT in its 159-year history. More than 38 percent of the student body participated in the election compared to 14.4 percent a year ago.
“A Black female in that role will squash every perception that MIT is still mostly White and male,” Geathers told the student newspaper. “Minimally, the immediate image of that will make MIT a more welcoming and inclusive place.”
Geathers has chaired the Community and Diversity Committee at the Undergraduate Association Office at MIT. In that role, she has led Talented Ten, a program she created to increase the matriculation rate of Black women to MIT.
Geathers is a 2018 graduate of Miami Country Day School. She was a four-time varsity letter winner in soccer and also earned letters in softball, golf, and volleyball.
