Engineering students at the University of Toledo have a unique opportunity to become the leaders of tomorrow. The Roy and Marcia Armes Engineering Leadership Institute is a prestigious organization with an extensive, multi-stage application process. With the rigorous selection process comes also networking experience and international travel.
Every two years, students go on faculty-led trips to learn from industry leaders and practices in other countries. On the last trip in 2025, 24 students traveled throughout France, Germany and Italy.
The Juice House team spoke with Brady Kerner, a mechanical engineering senior, about his professional and personal growth from being an ELI member, and about the organization’s unique travel abroad opportunity.
Juice House: What motivated you to become a member of ELI and how did you get involved? How do you feel you’ve grown as a leader?
Brady Kerner: I applied for ELI because I have always wanted to push myself to do challenging things, not only for the achievement of that goal, but for the growth that I knew would come from pursuing it. Being a part of ELI has changed me and formed me into a true leader. I have grown and matured through the responsibilities I have taken on, especially serving a semester as president and another semester as committee head, where I also served as a fall break trip planner.
JH: Tell me about the trip abroad you went on with ELI.
BK: We went to Germany, Italy and had a surprise “unplanned” layover in France. While we were there, we went on a city tour of Hamburg, visited a small manufacturing company in Germany and had a free day, where I opted to take a train to Berlin. In Italy, we went to a couple of companies: one that we had a connection to through Toledo, and another at Ducati, the luxury motorcycle manufacturer. And much more!
We focused on three core goals for the trip: discover and learn about a new culture, learn from leaders in companies in different environments and grow in a meaningful relationship with the people you are traveling with.
JH: Was there a specific moment during the trip that gave you a unique realization either about yourself, engineering or the larger world?
BK: I envisioned a different-looking world when we touched down in Europe. I almost expected the sky to be a different shade of blue, the people to look different, the emotions to feel different and to almost feel like I was in a movie or a story. I think I expected to go over there and see things exactly as I had read about them in textbooks. But there are modern parts of their lives as well. There were people there that I didn’t understand because I didn’t speak their language. But what I did understand were their emotions. I realized at the core, we are all the same … no matter where you live.
JH: When you talk to recruiters now, how has having this international ELI experience on your resume changed the conversation?
BK: It is fitting that I went on this trip after my first co-op with Toyota. I was located in Alabama, and had started to get exposed to the Japanese culture of working and communicating. Then I went on the Europe trip and realized that we are all similar. It has prepared me for any work environment and any team that I am a part of. No matter the nationality or culture, I know I can approach my interactions with genuine interest in them and [an] honest expression of myself.
Note: Responses from the interviewee were received by email and have been edited for length and clarity.
