Testimonials - MIT GEL

Prospective Students

Testimonials

How GEL Has Impacted Current Students

"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."

Molly Dulde ’26 Course 2

"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."

Evangeline Wang ‘26 Wellesley College

"GEL allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and practice skills that I never even knew I would need in the workplace. "

Olivia Rivera ’26 Course 2-A

"GEL provided a safe and supportive space to develop meaningful leadership skills and an understanding of the complexities of leadership."

Delia Harms ’26 Course 3

"GEL gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and challenge my previous notions about leadership."

Yuneydy Paredes ’26 Wellesley College

"GEL pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence I needed to take initiative and trust myself in leadership positions."

Bella Aparicio-Morello ’26 Course 10-B

"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."

David Kwabi-Addo ’25 Course 6-7

"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."

Mena Filfil ’26 Course 6-2

"GEL was the perfect place to practice professional communications and conversation as well as networking with industry leaders to help my career!"

Garrett Blosen ’25 Course 2-A

"GEL has taught me to approach problem-solving with a systems-thinking mindset, allowing me to see the broader impact of technical decisions."

Cayla Gililland ’26 Wellesley College

"GEL has allowed me to experiment with leadership strategies to be as effective as possible in everything I do."

Kenneth Muhammad ’25 Course 6-1

"GEL has made me a more efficient and effective team member and leader by challenging me in a safe and fun environment."

Norah Miller ‘25 Course 16

"I really enjoyed the labs and feel like I definitely am learning a lot about what it means to be an engineering leader."

Thomas Wu ‘26 Course 6-3

Alumni Spotlights

Jesse Adler ’17

Jesse Adler ’17

BS, Aerospace Engineering

“You can’t be effective in the world without human skills—communication, teamwork, influence, motivation.”

Richard Agbeyibor ’12

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.”

Simran Pabla ’20 ’21

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

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."