Simran Pabla - MIT GEL

Prospective Students

Simran Pabla ’20 ’21

BS, Computer Science and Engineering MEng, Computer Science

“Growing up I thought that leadership meant that you could stand up in front of a room and present your ideas clearly and loudly,” Simran explains. “Thanks to GEL, I realized that leadership was much more complex and nuanced than that—and this was a life-changing realization.”

“I was concerned that I was too ‘nice’ and that this might be a flaw holding me back from starting my own company,” she continues. “My GEL mentors and classmates showed me that I did have the capacity to lead—and they would point to specific moments and experiences during the program where I exhibited the skills and capabilities of leadership.”

In addition to the relationships she built with her peers, Simran is extremely grateful for the opportunity to engage in leadership labs. “The magic of GEL is in its complexity, in the depth of feedback you receive regarding who you are and how you lead, and in its ability to help you personally grow. It’s amazing how clearly I still remember my leadership labs—but that’s because they were all so revelatory.”