MIT Grads Launch Scholarship Fund, Hear Call for Kindness

The newest architects and planners from MIT didn't just earn their degrees. They launched a scholarship fund to help future students access the same education they received.

Dean Hashim Sarkis announced the Class of 2026 Scholarship fund during MIT's School of Architecture and Planning graduation ceremony, calling the 206 graduates "big-hearted" in how they treat each other and the world. The scholarship moves the school closer to its goal of becoming tuition-free.

"Education is a right, not a privilege," Sarkis told the packed Kresge Auditorium. The news sparked sustained applause from graduates representing nearly every corner of the globe.

Alejandro Aravena, the celebrated Chilean architect who won the prestigious Pritzker Prize, delivered the commencement address with an urgent message. Through stories from his work building social housing and a hospital for victims of violence in Colombia, he challenged graduates to think beyond professional success.

His firm ELEMENTAL once worked on a slum-upgrading project in Chile where two social workers were threatened at knifepoint by organized crime. The experience made Aravena question whether society was moving toward civilization or barbarism.

Why This Inspires

Aravena pointed to humanity's unique capacity for complex emotions and decision-making, centered in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Despite having evolved this remarkable ability for empathy and cooperation, he warned that society seems to be moving backward toward "the law of the jungle."

His solution? Use skills and knowledge for common interests, not just self-interest. "Leveling the playing field is very bad news for predators," Aravena told the graduates.

He urged them to bring back decency, kindness, and honoring the truth in their work. Whether designing buildings, planning cities, or creating technology, the message was clear: focus on projects that matter to others.

The graduating class includes students from the school's four departments spanning architecture, urban planning, media arts, and real estate. Fifty-seven percent come from the United States, with significant representation from China and India.

Their first act as alumni shows they took the message to heart. By creating opportunities for future students, they're already putting others first.