Gabriel Choi

Class of 2022

String Orchestra • Jazz Band • Pit Orchestra

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Mechanical Engineering

_____
Gabriel Choi’s years in San Marin Performing Arts gave him more than a place to make music. Through orchestra, jazz, and pit orchestra, he built confidence, learned the value of collaboration, and discovered lessons that would stay with him well beyond the stage.

After graduating from San Marin, Gabriel attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he studied mechanical engineering. Although his career ultimately took him in a different direction, music has remained an important part of his life.

Career Highlights

Gabriel now works at Abbott Laboratories in research and development for cardiac devices.

While at Cal Poly, he also pursued a senior engineering project in collaboration with NASA as part of the Human Lander Challenge supporting the Artemis missions, and later presented on the project.

Outside of engineering, Gabriel founded Cal Poly Rotaract in affiliation with Rotary International, an experience that strengthened his commitment to service and community involvement.

Music has continued to be part of his life as well. After high school, Gabriel picked up guitar and began playing with friends. At Abbott, he and several coworkers now perform together each week during the company’s Thursday Fika potluck.

“The classroom environment that Ms. McIvor created made Jazz Band by far my favorite class. It became the source of many friendships that I still value to this day.”

— Gabriel Choi

REFLECTIONS & ADVICE

Some of Gabriel’s strongest memories from San Marin come from Jazz Band and the classroom environment created by Ms. McIvor, where performing together became as much about collaboration and community as music.

“The classroom environment that Ms. McIvor created made Jazz Band by far my favorite class. It became the source of many friendships that I still value to this day.”

Gabriel says performing also helped him develop confidence that did not come naturally at first. Soloing in Jazz Band and spending time onstage made him more comfortable performing in front of others and gave him experience that has carried into public speaking and his professional life.

“I truly believe that playing and performing music is to the brain what playing team sports is to the body. Being able to perform, create, and work together as a team in Jazz Band was far more impactful to me than any calculus class has ever been.”

He also learned that becoming comfortable and confident at something takes time and practice—whether working with others or on his own.

For current students, Gabriel encourages them to keep performing arts in their lives even if their career ultimately takes them in another direction.

“Music and performing have a way of bringing people together and giving you something that is difficult to find elsewhere. Even if you don’t have time to perform as much as you did in high school, find a way to keep playing, performing, or creating.”

Once a Mustang, Always a Mustang.