The growth of the blue economy is increasing demand for a geoscience workforce prepared with specialized technical skills, interdisciplinary and collaborative competencies, and real-world problem-solving experience. The University of Washington's Student Seaglider Center (SSC) was established to increase undergraduate access to sustained, hands-on research and leadership opportunities and support student career goals in this sector. The SSC is a student-run laboratory that leverages near-peer mentoring and a collaborative learning community to engage undergraduates and graduate students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in authentic oceanographic research using Seaglider autonomous underwater vehicles. Here, we describe the design and structure of the SSC and synthesize student outcomes and insights gained from four years of the program. Using current student and alumni surveys, we assess the efficacy of the SSC in supporting student career preparation and trajectories. Survey responses indicate that the SSC promotes technical skill-building, interest in and exposure to new career paths, and successful transitions into careers and graduate education in related fields. Alumni also note that non-discipline specific skills like communication, collaboration, planning, and troubleshooting were broadly applicable to a variety of post-graduation paths. Our work suggests that student-run laboratories can be adaptable and scalable models for experiential learning with capacity to facilitate career readiness. We discuss practical strategies for implementing similar programs, emphasizing ways to broaden participation, enhance undergraduate research and leadership training, and strengthen pathways into geoscience careers.