Making her move
These days, senior Bethany Tomerlin is just like any other MIT student: She juggles a host of academic and research commitments, plays flute in the MIT Marching Band, and — when she finds a sliver of spare time — indulges what she calls her “pop culture vice” with friends in her dormitory. But Tomerlin, a materials science and engineering major who grew up in southern California, has overcome intense physical challenges that make her hard-won accomplishments stand out even among those of her peers. She was born with mild cerebral palsy and sensory integration disorder, wore leg braces until sixth grade and had a childhood punctuated by hospital visits and physical therapy several times a week. (Cerebral palsy refers to a spectrum of disorders involving brain and nervous-system functions, often affecting motor abilities.) Tomerlin recalls her frustration in elementary school, when — despite her enthusiasm for schoolwork — she had...