Gabriella Arriaga
Gabriella Nicole Arriaga is from Boise, Idaho, and is a sophomore in Aerospace Engineering with a 4.0 GPA. She says the best thing about being a Virginia Tech Engineering student is always having access to a design studio or lab where she can interact with skilled and trained engineering professionals and students daily. She loves being surrounded by all types of engineering majors, as people are constantly learning from others in the best way possible.
When Gabriella was in middle school, she dreamt of becoming a Marketing Manager. She had a career assignment and simulation and she dreamt of helping others and leading them to personal and external successes every day. Now that she is at Virginia Tech, she dreams about inspiring, helping, and leading others to a brighter future. She stated, “whether this is innovating new technology and creating practical solutions to everyday challenges that people have, teaching students an academic subject and being that one teacher who students can trust and depend on for help, or simply being a pair of hands wherever they are needed to serve the Lord, I dream of continuous learning, and the ability to change others lives for the better.” If Gabriella could change one thing, she would change the way people are wired to perceive each other. She gave an example of giving the ability to see past a person’s flaws, to view each other compassionately, lovingly, and with an empathetic lens.
As a Virginia Tech student, she became a member of Hypatia and is now involved in upper-class leadership this semester. As a volunteer opportunity, she is involved with FERL, a Female Engineering Recruitment and Leadership team, and the Dean’s team, to encourage incoming first-year students of a degree in engineering at Virginia tech.
Gabriella mentioned that she is inspired every day by who God is. Since growing her relationship with God in college, she says that he has taught her how to love others properly, how to endure hardship, and how to find joy no matter the circumstances. She also mentions that her favorite cartoon character is Garfield because he is a very funny and sassy character, who loves food, and causes mischief. All as a small cat, she thinks that is both adorable and hilarious.