The Story Behind One of the Most Creative People in the World

Who is Dr. Cynthia Breazeal?

        Many people assume that accomplished leaders know exactly where they are going from a young age. However, not all of them do. Dr. Cynthia Breazeal currently serves as a Professor and Dean of Digital Learning at MIT—a career she didn't have in mind at a young age. Similar to any child of her age, she developed a strong interest in Star Wars. In particular, she was interested in the machines and robots. Also, strongly pressured by her parents, she found a passion for engineering. It wasn't until graduate school that she found her desire to become a Professor. Working under Dr. Rodney Brooks, she deeply appreciated the opportunity that MIT provided her during her graduate studies. She said herself, "At MIT... you have unprecedented intellectual freedom." Under this guidance, she witnessed firsthand what MIT had to offer and was immediately hooked. This sparked her career and resulted in her developing her first of many robots at MIT.

Always Moving

        When asked about what she wished she had known before going into the workforce, Dr. Breazeal presented a very prevalent perspective, especially in today's circumstances. Rather than viewing careers as a straight line, she describes work as a series of branches and pivots, always moving in directions that can come as a shock. Career disappointments can feel demotivating and life-changing: A denied application, an abandoned project, or a job that doesn't work out.

Dr. Breazeal sees it differently.

Career paths change; they switch directions, but they never end. It's the ability to adapt to these changes that will truly show the difference between failure and success. New experiences can create opportunities that beforehand might have seemed out of reach or even impossible—but they never truly are.

"There's no one true path to life. If something doesn't end up the way you want, you should never see it as a failure. Take it as a learning experience, and just keep going."

Q: Growing up, did you plan to be in this occupation?

A: "No, I definitely was not thinking about academia or being a professor...I realized the flexibility that being a professor actually really gave you... Especially at MIT where you can have unprecedented intellectual freedom"

Q: If you had to explain your job to a five-year-old, what would you say?

A: "A Science Lab and Technology lab rolled into one, where you can invent the future!"