Gabi Hott Soares, associate director of student organizations and programming for the Student Organizations, Leadership, and Engagement Office (SOLE) in the Division of Student Life (DSL), empowers and equips students to lead and serve not only during their time at MIT, but also as they venture into their professional lives. With enthusiasm and a global mindset, she is dedicated to helping students thrive and reach their goals.
Hott Soares was working in Brazil in corporate communication and social responsibility for heavy‑industry companies, including metals, mining, steel, and oil and gas, when she moved to the United States in 2017 to attend the Hult International Business School in Cambridge. After graduating, she hoped to fulfill her dream of working in the United States, and initially planned to continue in the same industry. Once she arrived in Boston, however, she saw the potential of working in higher education and identified it as a field she wanted to pursue. The challenge, Hott Soares noted, was that as an international professional, she did not have anyone stateside who could recommend her.
Taking matters into her own hands, Hott Soares began attending meetups of Brazilian students and researchers in the Boston area to make connections. At one, she met an MIT student who invited her to volunteer as a marketing chair for his startup. Hott Soares worked with the startup for three months when she met another member of the team — the girlfriend of an MIT student — who mentioned that she was leaving a part‑time position within the MIT Spouses and Partners Connect (MS&PC) program. She asked Hott Soares if she would be interested in the role, and Hott Soares jumped at the opportunity to work at the Institute.
In her first position at MIT, Hott Soares worked directly with Aaron Donaghey, manager of event scheduling and special projects in the Campus Activities Complex (CAC), in a temporary office assistant position supporting CAC and SOLE. Located on the fifth floor of the Stratton Student Center, she greeted students and provided resources related to both offices. Intent on learning as much as she could about how both offices operated, she dedicated time to familiarizing herself with their functions, which was no small task. CAC, for example, manages several event spaces, including Kresge Auditorium and the MIT Chapel, and oversees thousands of events each year. Meanwhile, SOLE advises hundreds of student organizations recognized by the Association of Student Activities.
Six months later, when Hott Soares told Donaghey about her background and hope for a career at MIT, he encouraged her to apply to be the event support assistant within CAC. She was selected for the role, marking her first permanent role at MIT. On her path to continued growth at the Institute, and confident that new opportunities would come, she took advantage of the Institute’s career planning and development resources offered to employees. She worked one-on-one with Michele King Harrington, career development program administrator in human resources, and attended her workshops. King Harrington encouraged her to stay open to emerging opportunities, and in turn, Hott Soares immersed herself in learning everything she could about the Institute.
In 2021, she was promoted to senior administrative assistant for what is now known as Student Engagement and Campus Activities within DSL. A year later, she became assistant director of student organizations and programming in SOLE. In 2023, she was again promoted to associate director of student organizations and programming and received a DSL Infinite Mile Award in the category “Here for the Students.”
In her current role, Hott Soares leads the student events and programming boards area, which includes the Class Councils, Ring Committee, Senior Ball and Week Committees, and the Student Events Board. She interfaces daily with the student groups, helping them build community and plan activities and programs both on and off campus. While the skills she teaches students are applicable for their task at hand, they are also life skills that students will carry with them long after their time at MIT.
Serving people and nurturing the MIT community are what Hott Soares enjoys most. She reminds students that amid a rigorous course load and demanding commitments, it’s important to have fun — especially when they are celebrating an event they worked hard to plan. “Their time at MIT is one of the most beautiful times of their lives,” she says. “I want them to remember that.”
Soundbytes
Q: What part of your work makes you feel most proud?
Hott Soares: I am proud of being able to work with the most brilliant minds in the world and still be myself. When I am interacting with students, we want to help each other, and we can create a relationship that is based on empathy, respect, trust, and humility. I am grateful that I get to work with so many wonderful people.
Q: What advice would you give to a new staff member at MIT?
Hott Soares: Introduce yourself to people and take time to build relationships. Let others know what you do, what you want to do, and how you want to collaborate. Be humble, stay curious, and open to learning. MIT can feel fast-paced, but it is also a community full of people who genuinely care. You will thrive by being your true self!
Q: How would you describe the community at MIT?
Hott Soares: The people at MIT are amazing. Because I don’t have my family here, MIT is like home. The community is made up of people from different backgrounds and cultures, and I’ve always felt respected and like I belong. It is welcoming, safe, and compassionate. A shared sense of purpose, collaboration, creativity, and drive make MIT an inspiring place to work.
