On Friday, December 5, 2025, ELI’s student staff members Ren Kamykowski (MA ‘25) and Katie Lee (BS ‘27) welcomed more than 50 international students and scholars to take a break from the stress of finals and get into the holiday spirit at the 5th annual ELI Student-to-Student Gingerbread House Decorating event. 

After warming up with pizza and conversation, participants teamed up to build the snazziest gingerbread houses they could imagine. The competition was tough, the designs were impressive, and the creativity was off the charts. Winning teams took home ELI T-shirts and winter treats, and the night ended with warm Insomnia cookies!

First Place Winners: Seokin Yang, Zaina Saab, Suhaib Abdelrahman

Second Place Winners: Mia Boyd, Juyoung Hwang

Third Place Winners: Angelika Gasior, Lojain Alsufyani, Josue Castellanos, Ayuka Mikami

Miss out on the fun? Check back in February for our next ELI Student-to-Student event – a Mardi Gras celebration.  

 

ELI Student-to-Student events are designed to foster a sense of community among international students and scholars and provide a relaxing break from studying, teaching, and research.

For news about other ELI events, visit ELI’s news and event page.