GEL helped me practice the soft skills I need to be a successful engineer without having to learn them the hard way later in my career.
Evangeline Wang ‘26 Wellesley College
The hands-on experience and supportive GEL community have pushed me to challenge myself and explore new possibilities as a team member and as a lead.
Olivia Rivera ’26 Course 2-A
GEL allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and practice skills that I never even knew I would need in the workplace.
Delia Harms ’26 Course 3
GEL provided a safe and supportive space to develop meaningful leadership skills and an understanding of the complexities of leadership.
Yuneydy Paredes ’26 Wellesley College
GEL gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and challenge my previous notions about leadership.
Bella Aparicio-Morello ’26 Course 10-B
GEL pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence I needed to take initiative and trust myself in leadership positions.
David Kwabi-Addo ’25 Course 6-7
GEL has surrounded me with driven leaders, all striving to improve. Exchanging feedback has refined my skills, driving personal and professional growth alongside my peers.
Mena Filfil ’26 Course 6-2
In a realistic, engaging way, GEL made me a better team player and leader, opening my eyes to skills and areas I never thought were important in industry.
Garrett Blosen ’25 Course 2-A
GEL was the perfect place to practice professional communications and conversation as well as networking with industry leaders to help my career!
Cayla Gililland ’26 Wellesley College
GEL has taught me to approach problem-solving with a systems-thinking mindset, allowing me to see the broader impact of technical decisions.
Kenneth Muhammad ’25 Course 6-1
GEL has allowed me to experiment with leadership strategies to be as effective as possible in everything I do.
Norah Miller ‘25 Course 16
GEL has made me a more efficient and effective team member and leader by challenging me in a safe and fun environment.
Alumni Spotlights
Evan Hostetler '22
BS, Mechanical Engineering
"My GEL experience is one of the most valuable of my undergrad. Engineering is such a team sport. You have to be able to effectively lead and work on teams to execute really hard engineering problems."
Vanessa Kitova ’21
BS, Chemistry and Biological Engineering
“One of the most important things I learned was how to make sound decisions in the face of uncertainty. This is critical in modern life and fast-paced work environments.”
Richard Agbeyibor ’12
BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
“The people you meet in GEL are one of the greatest benefits. They are folks who will go on to do amazing things—and who you will always be able to count on.”
Jesse Adler ’17
BS, Aerospace Engineering
“You can’t be effective in the world without human skills—communication, teamwork, influence, motivation.”
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.”
TojumiOluwa Adegboyega '20
BS, Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
"GEL was the highlight of my junior and senior years at MIT", recalls TojumiOluwa (Towa) Adegboyega. It's intellectually fascinating to consider how engineering intersects with the metrics of success in the real world—trying to meet deadlines and performance targets, trying to satisfy customers, all the things you have to tackle as a professional engineer."
