Here we present our experience applying the principles of optimization and a wholistic student-centered engineering mindset to create an educational experience focused on long-term student success. Specifically, we have applied this approach to redesign a junior-level chemical engineering project that strives to develop student scholarship, citizenship, and leadership given the constraints of time, financial resources, and student/faculty motivation. We propose that using a wholistic optimization mindset can help other educators in designing customized educational experiences.