Growing up in Bahrain, Shahbaz Mogal always dreamed big and aspired to have a positive and scalable impact on as many people as possible. With encouragement from his parents and interests in engineering and technology, Mogal decided to take the first steps to make his dream a reality by venturing to MSOE and pursuing a path in software engineering.  

“I hope to use my technical knowledge of software combined with my empathetic management style to grow to a position where I can add value to people’s lives and empower them to add value themselves,” said Mogal.

The software engineering program at MSOE caught Mogal’s eye early on because of the challenging curriculum and direct entry into the program that allowed him to start writing code during his first week of classes.

“Writing so much code has developed intrinsic pathways in my thought process that help me jump on any software project and start coding without a lot of guidance, something that can only be gained through experience.”

In addition to the early hands-on experience, Mogal enjoys the emphasis the program has on teamwork. “The software engineering program’s focus on teamwork gives me experience in people management, effective communication and developing positive relationships.”

Mogal also stressed the influence of MSOE faculty and their knowledge of the changing corporate landscape where industries not only desire technically proficient engineers, but also empowered leaders who value innovation and have a growth mindset.  

Empowered leadership doesn’t stop in the classroom, it continues to campus groups. Mogal is a part of Girls Who Code, National Society of Black Engineers, MSOE Freediving Club, University Scholars Honors Program, and University Innovation Fellows. 

“I admire the work these organizations do. Empowerment of people to discover and achieve their dreams regardless of their background is at their very core. They are true representations of inclusive organizations, something the MSOE administration is very supportive of,” said Mogal.

Mogal was initially drawn to the University Innovation Fellows (UIF) because of his shared passion to push for empowerment, innovation, entrepreneurship, empathetic thinking, servant-leadership and creating a culture of positive change.  

“I deeply believe that students are budding change agents whose mindset is molded by what they are able to achieve and what they are limited by,” said Mogal. “I wish to remove limits on dreams. I envision an MSOE where a student can enter with the loftiest dreams and has the organizational structure, peer support, mental coaching, and resources to achieve them. I believe that a student’s drive and amount of hard work should be the only limiting factors to achieving dreams.”

Mogal’s summer internship is in Seattle as a software engineering intern at Microsoft. He will be working with the Azure cloud team on distributed computing.

“I am excited about working with some of the brightest kids from around the country, but I am most excited about Microsoft’s signature event where they rent out the Boeing Museum for a weekend and fly in artists for a private event for the interns!”

From Freediving Club, to Girls Who Code, to National Society of Black Engineers, to University Scholars Honors Program, to University Innovation Fellows, Shahbaz Mogal does it all to stay busy and encourage others to reach their goals.