- May 06, 2025
- MISTI
"Everywhere I go, every new friend I make, and every culture I immerse myself in, I gain a new perspective."
Z Chen is a master’s candidate in music technology and computation and a graduate of MIT’s bachelor’s programs in mechanical engineering and music. Throughout his years at MIT, he has participated in every type of MISTI program, immersing himself in a variety of cultures through seven experiences across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.
Z is a visible and enthusiastic advocate for MISTI, from appearing in MIT‑featured study abroad videos to mentoring peers. He has strengthened partnerships through leadership, expanded technical capacity at host sites, and fostered collaboration across cohorts — always representing MISTI with initiative, generosity, and lasting impact.
Z was awarded the 2026 MISTI Ambassador Award because he exemplifies MISTI's mission and has served as an outstanding MISTI representative abroad and at MIT.
Watch Why Should MIT Students Study Abroad? to hear from Z (and other students) on why they chose to study abroad.
1. What valuable lessons did you learn from the locals abroad?
Everywhere I go, every new friend I make, and every culture I immerse myself in, I gain a new perspective. I learned different lessons from people around the world, but what was most eye-opening was realizing how differently life can be structured, yet still feel complete.
Spending a summer in Ghana was the most challenging experience for me. It pushed me out of any sense of familiarity and forced me to become comfortable with uncertainty, learning to adapt without fully understanding the environment around me. It also made me more aware of how limited my own perspective is, and how much there is to learn just by paying attention to how others live.
In South Korea, I saw how differently education and ambition are shaped, which made me more aware of how people approach goals and expectations. In Brazil, I learned to be fully present without my phone, becoming much more immersed in my surroundings and my thoughts.
Across all these experiences, I’ve come to appreciate that there isn’t a single correct way to live. Despite differences in culture and environment, people are often willing to support one another, and I’ve seen how far openness and kindness can go.
2. Why did you choose to include MISTI in your 4-year journey at MIT?
Growing up, I did not have many opportunities to travel so when I heard upperclassmen share their MISTI experiences, it made me realize how unique an opportunity it was. After my first MISTI experience in South Korea, I knew I wanted more. It was genuinely fun to explore new places and experience things I had never encountered before, which made me more open to learning from each environment. MISTI brought me to four continents and taught me lessons I would have never learned if I had stayed in the US. The world became my classroom.
3. How did MISTI complement your studies at MIT?
My MISTI experiences in Ghana and the UK directly complemented the work I was doing at MIT by allowing me to apply my technical and design skills in real-world contexts.
Through D-Lab: Design during my sophomore year, I connected with Emily Young, CEO of Moving Health, an emergency medical care and ambulance manufacturing company, and subsequently worked with them in Ghana that summer. This provided an opportunity to apply my mechanical engineering, design, and entrepreneurial skills in a real-world setting.
The following summer, I worked at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK, where I was able to deepen my experience in hands-on research and learn from engineers and researchers in a different academic environment. That experience also helped clarify the type of research I am most interested in, and influenced my decision to pursue a master’s degree.
4. How can someone in your major benefit from doing MISTI?
Mechanical engineering is a diverse field with many different applications, and MISTI is a valuable way to understand how those applications vary across real-world contexts and user needs. Going directly to users and working with them firsthand helps engineers become more thoughtful designers who understand constraints beyond the classroom.
My other major, music, is one of the most universal ways people connect across cultures. Through MISTI, I was able to learn about different musical and dance traditions, and I found that people are often very open and enthusiastic about sharing them when you show genuine interest!
5. If someone is hesitant about doing MISTI, what would you tell them?
There is no other opportunity quite like MISTI. My MIT experience would have felt incomplete without MISTI and I would not hesitate to choose the same path. I made friends all over the world and have stories to tell for the rest of my life.
6. What’s next for you, and how did MISTI influence your path?
My most recent GTL in Spain, following my study abroad in Switzerland, deepened my understanding of work-culture, work-life balance, and the startup ecosystem in the US and different European countries. MISTI gave me confidence in navigating unfamiliar contexts, whether that means working across disciplines or creating opportunities by putting myself out there. Going forward, I am interested in founding a startup in the US and eventually returning to Europe to live long-term.