From Gulliver Prep to Carnegie Mellon: Eitan Krajewski ‘26 Pursues Computer Science at the Highest Level
Just months after graduating from Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, Eitan Krajewski ‘26 found himself at the center of a historic moment at Carnegie Mellon University. As the university announced a $3 billion gift from philanthropist Ken Griffin, including $2 billion to establish a new campus in Miami, Eitan was among a select group of students invited to participate in the celebrations.
For Eitan, now a freshman in Carnegie Mellon’s newly renamed Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science, the moment brought together his hometown, his new university, and an academic passion he had spent years developing at Gulliver.
“When we walked outside, campus was decorated, and suddenly everything clicked,” Eitan recalled of the September announcement, which had been kept under wraps until that morning.
Eitan participated in the campus celebrations, attended a fireside chat with Griffin, and joined a small group of students escorting him to the main stage. During their brief conversation, Eitan shared that he had grown up in Miami and attended Gulliver before enrolling in Carnegie Mellon’s computer science program.
Eitan was the only freshman selected for a student trip to Miami for the related announcement, where he had another chance to meet Griffin.
While the experience was extraordinary, the path that brought Eitan to Carnegie Mellon began years earlier in Gulliver’s classrooms, computer labs, and robotics program.
Discovering Computer Science Through Real-World Learning at Gulliver
At Gulliver, Eitan found opportunities to explore computer science well beyond traditional coursework, applying his skills to engineering challenges, app development, and competitions that connected technology to real-world problems.
During his sophomore year, he participated in the Congressional App Challenge, helping develop MedAlert, an application his team presented to representatives from Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s office. In his junior year, he helped create Buzzkill, an application designed to help address tropical diseases, particularly dengue fever, through case reporting. Developed for the international Conrad Challenge, the project earned recognition in the competition and went on to place third in the Congressional App Challenge for the second-straight year.
Both experiences gave him the chance to move beyond writing code and understand the larger process of identifying a problem, developing a solution, and presenting an idea to an outside audience.
Robotics added another dimension to his education. Over four years in Gulliver’s robotics program, including serving as programming lead during his senior year, Eitan explored how computer science intersects with engineering, design, and collaboration. “Building a robot over several months introduced me to a different side of computer science from web or app development,” he explained.
Through each project, Eitan gained experience working through setbacks, refining his ideas, and applying what he learned in meaningful ways.
Building an Academic Foundation for Carnegie Mellon
Alongside his technology projects, Eitan pursued advanced mathematics at Gulliver, ultimately enrolling in discrete mathematics through the school’s dual-enrollment partnership with the University of Miami. The course, his first experience with college-level academics, introduced him to mathematical concepts central to computer science and gave him an early understanding of the rigor ahead.
Today, Eitan is studying linear algebra, discrete mathematics, and programming as part of his first-year college curriculum. He describes the coursework as challenging, but also deeply rewarding. “I love it at CMU. It’s amazing, and it’s also been a huge challenge because the coursework is so rigorous,” he shared. “I love how I’m being challenged.”
Reflecting on his time at Gulliver, Eitan sees the cumulative impact of the academic and hands-on experiences that shaped his interests. “Working through competitions, building things, developing solutions, and learning to bring ideas to life all helped. The mathematics coursework also pushed my interest further.”
Although Carnegie Mellon has raised the level of challenge, Eitan credits those earlier experiences with helping prepare him for the demands of his studies. “CMU is a step up, and it’s much harder, but all of those experiences contributed to preparing me. Everything counts.”
Continuing to Innovate Beyond the Classroom
Eitan is already finding new ways to apply his interests at Carnegie Mellon. He recently joined ScottyLabs, a student technology organization, where he participates in Labrador, a team focused on developing practical technology tools for the campus.
The work reflects a familiar approach: identifying a need, developing an idea, and building something that can serve others.
Beyond academics, Eitan is forming friendships across campus and discovering the many ways he can continue to grow within his field. “It’s rewarding to look back at where I started and recognize how far I’ve already come,” he said.
From developing his first applications at Gulliver to pursuing advanced computer science at Carnegie Mellon, Eitan’s journey illustrates how academic rigor, personalized pathways, and real-world learning can help students turn an early interest into a meaningful direction.
And as Carnegie Mellon prepares to establish a presence in the city where his own journey began, Eitan is finding himself connected to the next chapter of innovation in Miami in an unexpected way.
