Candidates begin the program in Winter Quarter with the introductory 2-unit course "Introduction to Public Service Leadership." Through this five-quarter experience, candidates build a strong community of peer-leaders who will learn with and from each other. Each candidate is actively involved in public service leadership through a position or project on or off campus and brings a unique set of experiences and perspectives to the group. After the initial course, much of the work is independent and can be done at a student's own pace until the program completion the following spring.
All participating candidates will be assigned to a Haas Center advisor and be expected to meet with him or her at least once each quarter. The purpose of the advising sessions is to provide candidates a chance to revisit and revise learning plans, provide program assessments, synthesize learning from various components of the program, and discuss future goals and opportunities.
Applications are available Autumn Quarter each year and students who are selected commit to five quarters of leadership development until they complete program requirements during the following Spring Quarter.
Meet the Candidates
2011–2012 Public Service Leadership Program Participants
Firas Abuzaid '13 (Computer Science)
- service
passions: human rights, social justice, education
- Stanford activities: NAACP
Political Action, APIR-L subcommittee on human rights, Muslim Student Awareness
Network, Science in Service
- other service
experience: local tutoring
- leadership
practice area: NAACP
- post-Stanford
plans: develop new models using
technology to improve education and human rights awareness
"I choose action over apathy because I have no justification complaining about the problems in the world today without at least trying to solve those problems."
Harjus Birk '12 (Biology)
- service passion: enhancing healthcare in
underprivileged countries such as India
- Stanford activities: founder and leader of Dharamsala, India Clinical
Internship, Co-President of Stanford American Red Cross, Assistant Director of
Anjna Patient Health Education, Board Member of Stanford College Interest Group
in Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Research Assistant in Guzman
Neurosurgery Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine
- other service experience:
Founder of Future Health Professionals of America, Student Board Member of
Shasta County Board of Education, Volunteer at Mercy Medical Center, Youth
Advisor at Sikh Centre Anderson
- leadership practice area: health education for youth
- post-Stanford plans: attend medical
school and work for Doctors Without Borders
“In order to challenge society and push
it toward the ideals of peace and tranquility, action must be valued over
apathy. Each and every human being is able to notice right versus wrong, and it
is simply a matter of pushing yourself towards action to really make a positive
difference.”
Amy
Chen '13 (Human Biology)
- service
passions: organ trafficking, organ donor education, global public health
- Stanford activities: Global Health Intern at the Asian Liver Center, consultant for Stanford Consulting, VP Alumni Relations for Alpha Kappa Psi, delegate for Stanford Model United Nations, Impact Abroad participant, Jumpstart Corps member, frosh intern for the Asian American Student Association (AASA)
- other service
experience: recruitment staff for KaeMe Foundation (Ghana), intern for the
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
- leadership
practice area: Asian Liver Center
- post-Stanford
plans: pursue a joint degree in MBA/MPA-ID (Master of Public
Administration-International Development) and a career in healthcare
development
"Public service gives me the perfect outlet to take everything I love—health care, kids, and education—and explore the best way to put it all
together, all the while trying to change the world in my own unique way. To me,
life is all about the people. Apathy is out of the question; it is only through
actions that I can truly express my love for learning more about others around
me."
Yoshika
Crider '12 (Environmental Engineering)
- Stanford activities: Students for a Sustainable Stanford, Stanford Farm
Project, Jumpstart East Palo Alto, Haas Community Based Research
Fellow
- other service experience: United Way intern
- leadership practice area: education, Stanford Farm Project
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career involving human health and the environment
"Mary Oliver wrote, 'Tell me, what is
it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?' I choose to make
mine count through public service because it allows me to constantly learn from
and share with others, follow my passions, and hopefully make the world a bit
better than when I started."
Natalie Dillon '13 (International Relations)
- service passions: youth and female empowerment; water sanitation in developing
countries; human trafficking
- Stanford activities: Women’s Tennis Team, Kappa Kappa Gamma
- other service
experience: co-founder of the Not For Sale High School movement and
summer volunteer at the Janet Pomeroy Recreation Center for the disabled
- leadership
Practice Area: collaborating Stanford athletics with service/ athletic youth
programs fostering to inner city youth
- post-Stanford plans: I hope to attend graduate school and receive a Masters in
business or urban planning. I’m interested in urban growth in developing countries,
particularly implementing infrastructure that boosts trade, reduces damage
caused from natural disasters, and highlighting cultural traits.
"A life fulfilled is a life of action. Thinking
inquisitively, envisioning creatively, and achieving compassionately are what
make us feel most fully alive. For me, there is no sweeter joy than that of
serving others and to be a part of something that is greater than myself."
Elyse Galles '12 (Human Biology)
-
service passions: caring for the medically uninsured, addressing and
voicing the medical needs of the underrepresented, working toward
culturally-competent medical care - Stanford activities: Kappa Kappa Gamma
- other service experience: Spanish translator at Latin Clinic, English tutor
- leadership practice area: local free clinics
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career in a health-related field
"I choose action over apathy because the pay-it-forward system will benefit us all in the long run."
Diana González '13 (Sociology)
- service passions: education and youth empowerment, immigration, translating/interpreting
- Stanford activities: mentor coordinator for East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA); secretary of Derechos (Latino Pre-law Group); dancer in Ballet Folklórico de
Stanford; class manager of Mariachi Cardenal de Stanford; MEChA: co-chair of
Raza Day Youth Conference; participant of Alternative Spring Break to Arizona;
Catholic Community at Stanford; Education and Youth Development Fellow; interpreter for Immigrant Rights Clinic at Stanford Law School
- other service experience: translating/interpreting for
East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring
- leadership practice area: EPASA (8th
grade teacher)
- post-Stanford plans: pursue Stanford’s
STEP program and teach afterward; pursue a law degree (education, family, or
immigration law)
"I
know I would not be where I am right now if it were not for the altruistic
people that cared about me and took the time to take action and help me to strive
for my biggest goals in life. I choose action over apathy because I will
forever be in debt to those individuals that helped me; for this reason I would
like to return the favor and do the same."
Sarah Hennessy '12 (Human Biology)
- service
passions: expanding service-learning; child health justice
- Stanford activities: Volunteers in Latin America trip leader, member of
Alternative Spring Break Coordinator Team, member of Stanford Students for
Queer Liberation
- other service
experience: translator at medical clinic during high school; summer work with
kids with physical disabilities at Camp Hope in Quito, Ecuador
- leadership
practice area: Alternative Spring Break
- post-Stanford
plans: join Global Health Corps; pursue a graduate degree in Epidemiology or
Public Health and a career dedicated to ameliorating disparities in child
health in developing countries
"I choose action over apathy because I don't
know how to do it any other way. When you are passionate about something-
anything- you can not take a back seat. You can't sit back and wait for someone
else to step up. The problems of the world compel us to act, and I feel so very
fortunate to be in a place where so many opportunities to be a public servant
are afforded to me."
Vivian Ho '12 (Biology)
- service passions:
educational equity, reducing healthcare disparities
- Stanford activities: Science in Service, Anjna Patient Education, BioBridge peer
advisor
- other service experience: volunteering at a food bank and hospital, tutoring elementary school
students, and teaching at a free debate camp for low-income students
- leadership practice area:
Science in Service
- post-Stanford plans: attend
medical school and work in pediatrics at free clinics
"As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, I was raised on
stories of the struggles and triumphs my family members experienced as they
established themselves on American soil. These narratives taught me that
life is a complex blessing, full of moments that are both incredibly beautiful
and devastatingly hard. I choose action because I want to help others
take on their own challenges. Hardships may be an inherent aspect of the
human condition, but we don’t have to face them alone."
Julian Jaravata '13 (Urban Studies)
- service
passions: education, immigrant rights
- Stanford activities: Stanford Asian American Activism Committee,
Pilipino American Student Union, Alternative Spring Break Trip
about Asian American Issues, education-themed Impact Abroad trip
to Bolivia
- other service
experience: volunteer for Peninsula Interfaith Action
- leadership
practice area: Kapatid High School Mentorship Program
- post-Stanford
plans: pursue a graduate degree in education
"I choose action over apathy because injustice does
not occur in isolated moments of time. For me, to actively fight against
injustice means to consciously participate in a life of service."
Irene Jor '13 (Urban Studies)
- service passions: urban
education and communities; commercial sexual exploitation and human
trafficking; the national service movement
- Stanford activities: Leilan Fusion Belly Dance, Stanford Muay Thai, Haas
Summer Fellowship, First-Generation and Low-Income Partnership (FLIP), Stanford
in Government (SIG) Women’s Political Leadership Conference
- other service experience: AmeriCorps/City Year alumna, Casa Myrna Vazquez peer educator, Youth
Enrichment Services snowboard instructor, Boston Center for Community and
Justice board of directors, Youth Service America youth council, Service Nation
community organizer
- leadership practice area:
continued public service and research in the area of Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children (CSEC), designing a service-learning course on the
history and culture of sneakers
- post-Stanford plans: I see
both teaching and holding public office in my future. But immediately after
Stanford I would like to travel urban communities around the world and later
pursue a MA in Urban Affairs and/or Public Policy.
"I choose action over apathy because I have people in my life that
love and believe in me and I reciprocate this by contributing my best to the
world we share and live in."
Jaclyn
Le '12 (Political Science)
- service passions: educational equity, homelessness
- Stanford activities: DreamCatchers staff member, member of Cap and
Gown, member of the Stanford Quest Scholars chapter, Haas Center student intern
- other service experience: executive intern at Earning by Learning and Family
Gateway in Dallas, judicial intern for U.S. Federal District Court Judge
Kinkeade in Northern District of Texas
- leadership practice area: DreamCatchers
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree and career in civil rights law, education law, or
education policy
"Action
over apathy is not a choice but a calling and responsibility to me. With so much inequality and injustice
in the world, many people do not get what they deserve and few deserve what
they get. I have been so blessed to be surrounded by privilege at Stanford, and
I plan to use that good fortune to empower others and contribute to the
well-being of my community. Public service is the pathway to a more tolerant
and just society."
Joseph Levenson '13 (Human Biology)
- service
passions: international health, youth empowerment
- Stanford activities: co-founder of GlobeMed at Stanford, mental health
researcher for ANJNA Patient Education, Sophomore Class Cabinet Member, events
writer and freshman fellow for the Stanford Daily, research assistant in
Neurodegenerative Disease laboratory, member of Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Science in Service tutor
- other service
experience: rutor for Workplace Education Literacy (WEL) program, Peace4Kids
- leadership
practice area: GlobeMed
- post-Stanford
plans: attend medical school and ultimately pursue a career in international
health
"I remain unsure of many things in life, but
of this I am certain: I want to use the opportunities and resources I have been
given to help others, and to live a life dedicated to purposes larger than
oneself. Thus, through action, I hope to have a profound impact on lives."
Pamela Martinez '13 (undeclared)
-
service passion: immigrant rights and education
-
Stanford activities: Stanford Immigrant Rights
Project (SIRP), Tutoring for Community, participant of ASB trip to study
immigration in Arizona, part of the 2009-2010
Frosh Service Ambassadors Program
-
other service experience: volunteer at Mountain View Worker
Center, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, past president of high school
Humanitarian Club
-
leadership practice area: Stanford Immigrant Rights Project (SIRP)
-
Post-Stanford plans: find employment in the technology industry or go to
law school
"All we have to do is to open our eyes to
be faced with the injustice and misfortune our world faces, but only by
choosing action over apathy will we be able to begin changing these patterns of
misfortune. I choose action because one person can make a difference in
our world, and that difference, whether small or large, can inspire someone
else to continue with this mission to better the life of our fellow citizens of
the world. It is easy to simply wait for the world to change, but then
who will take that first step?"
Sarah Medina '12 (Public Policy)
-
service passion: education and women's rights
- Stanford activities: officer for the student group Right to Education for All Children, various tutoring programs including Jumpstart and Closing the Gap, Community Service Work-Study
- other service experience you have: Youth and Education service trip in Bolivia, volunteer with the Special Needs Aquatic Program, board member for Kids With Dreams
- leadership practice area: officer for the student group Right to
Education for All Children - post-Stanford plans: work as high school teacher in Houston, TX
"Social issues will prevail until some degree of personal convenience and self interest is sacrificed for the sake of community."
Landon Medlock '12 (Management Science and Engineering)
- service passion:
education, youth empowerment
- Stanford activities: tutor and mentor at East Palo Alto College Track
- other service experience: Stanford UNICEF
- leadership practice area:
Society of Black Scientists and Engineers
- post-Stanford plans: I hope
to participate in Teach For America. Then I want to create a social business
aimed at improving education for everyone.
"I believe that one man’s problem will soon become all men’s
problem. Most times we wait until a problem touches close to home before we
attempt to fix it. So why wait? I choose action over apathy because I never
doubt humanity’s capacity to make a difference today for everyone."
Alexandra Nana-Sinkam '13 (International Relations)
-
service passions: youth empowerment and international public health
- Stanford activities: research assistant at Stanford
African Studies Department, intern for Stanford African Students Association,
Stanford Dollie, Urban Styles Dance Group, Impact Abroad trip to Bolivia, Teach for the Community, Everybody Dance Now!, Ravenswood Reads, ASSU Freshman
Service Ambassador
- leadership practice area: international social empowerment, SASA
- post-Stanford plans: I hope to possibly participate in the Peace Corps or
attend graduate school.
"I don’t think its so much a choice;
rather, I practice action over apathy because I believe it is our generation’s
responsibility."
Emma Ogiemwanye '12 (Urban Studies)
- service passions: youth advocacy, education, and poverty
- Stanford activities: ASSU Service
Team, Stanford in Government, Ravenswood Reads, Stanford College Prep
- other service experience: Family Crossroads Homeless Shelter, YP4
Progressive Fellowship, Children’s Defense Fund Youth Advocacy
- leadership practice area: ASSU Stanford Service Ambassadors,
Family Crossroads, homeless shelter
- post-Stanford plans: service fellowship post-grad, law
school, pursuing a career positively affecting social justice
"The principle of
Tikkun Olam (a Hebrew phrase that means ‘repairing the world’) has been engrained in me
since I was little. With time, my
commitment to Tikkun Olam
has developed in working with people. My responsibility to others, particularly in my community, is something
that helps guide my everyday decisions."
Brianna Pang '13 (Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity)
- service
passions: education and legal services access
- Stanford activities: Stanford NAACP, Black Student Union, Asian-American
Sib Program, Alternative Spring Break, ASSU Constitutional Council, The
Stanford Daily, The Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs, JusticeCorps, The Stanford Phoenix
Project
- other service
experience: Learning Enterprises
- leadership
practice area: social justice
- post-Stanford
plans: returning to work in the Oakland Unified School District and pursuing a
law degree to practice public interest law
"I dream of and work toward a world where public
service is no longer needed because equality has finally taken over and
compassion has become a foundational trait of human nature."
Robin
Perani '13 (Science, Technology, and Society)
- service
passions: at-risk youth, social systems/programs design, immigration,
creativity in education
- Stanford activities: co-chair of ASSU Senate Advocacy Committee, Alternative
Spring Break, d.school
- other service
experience: Marin County Youth Court, church music camps, Spanish
interpreter for immigration law office, teaching high school ELL classrooms,
Project Amigo service trips in southern Mexico
- leadership
practice area: advocacy through student government, youth empowerment,
restorative justice
- post-Stanford
plans: working to find innovative
ways to solve widespread problems, using human-centered approaches through
business and politics
"My action is
to give people this same choice by offering the tools to succeed. That
way I can watch others mature and teach me how to grow as well. I have
seen how people change once allowed this choice and the subsequent power we
together have to truly change our lives for the better."
Karthik Prasad '12 (Biology)
-
service passion: healthcare disparities and lack of health education
- Stanford activities: student intake leader at Arbor Free Clinic; co-president of
Stanford chapter of Student Society for Stem Cell Research which focuses on
science educational outreach, Stanford in Government, Alternative Spring
Break
- other service experience: volunteer with immigrants and underserved children in
Houston, TX, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity
- leadership practice area: School of Medicine project focused on health
education, screenings, and community building for migrant farmers in Salinas
valley
- post-Stanford plans: attend medical school and continue focus on migrant health
“I fundamentally believe
that you have to not only take action, but also to do it now. Building a
passion for public service, taking a vested interest in the lives of others,
and striving to level the playing field are all critical to truly making the
world a better place.”
Tianay Pulphus '13 (undeclared)
- service passions: education, youth and
community empowerment
- Stanford activities: chair of
the Education Committee for the Stanford National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (Stanford NAACP); participant in Veteran’s Health themed ASB
trip to DC, co-trip leader of 2011 Alternative Spring Break (ASB) “Growing
Creativity: Education Reform in New York City”
- leadership practice area: Stanford NAACP and ASB
- post-Stanford plans: pursue postsecondary education
degree, travel around the world, be happy
"I truly believe that action happens as a result of being present in the
lives of others around you. And meaningful action grows out of the connections
that I make with whatever community I am involved in. In connecting, I find
time to listen and identify needs. Action, then, is a small price to pay for
being apart of a community."
Jasmine Rodriguez '12 (Sociology)
- service passion: youth and education
- Stanford activities: member of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.; Dancer, Ballet
Folklorico de Stanford; volunteer with Project Motivation
- other service experience: volunteer tutor Centre Social Jacques Prevert, former
intern and Student Ambassador, QuestBridge
- leadership practice area: co-community service chair, Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a Master's in Education, and then a career that addresses the issues of access and
equity in education
"We as students have more power than we give
ourselves credit for, so why not use that power to help someone in need? All it
takes is one person to step up, and that action in itself will be the catalyst
for change."
Tenzin Seldon '12 (Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity)
-
service passion(s): international development and security, youth activism,
Tibet, human rights, education inequity
- Stanford activities: CCARE Fellow, ASSU Diversity &
Equality Chair, Diversity Advisory Board Chair, President Stanford Friends of
Tibet, Project Compassion Founder and Liaison, Rathbun Fellow, ASB Changemakers
participant
- other service experience: regional coordinator Students for a Free
Tibet, Executive SF Team Tibet, developed critical thinking into Tibetan
Children's Village in India, Served as Asian American Network President
- leadership practice area: Stanford, local Tibetan and Asian American community,
and internationally
- post-graduation plans: work with a mentor in the field of international
development and then pursue a PhD in social policy or law school
"Service is a moral obligation. My inner
balance is dependent on the existent of action over apathy."
Reagan Thompson '12 (Chinese/International Relations)
-
service passion: orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa
- Stanford activities: Stanford in Government, class
council, Reformed University Fellowship, Cap and Gown Honors Society
- other service experience you have: work with orphanages in Ghana and Malawi,
teaching in China
- leadership practice area: KaeMe, homeless breakfast
- post-Stanford plans: working with or for the federal government and graduate
school
"Public service is a part of who I
am. It has taken hours, sweat, and thought, but it had contributed
greatly to my life. Action is a way for me to take advantage of the
blessings in my life."
Erika Topete '12 (Urban Studies)
- service
passions: preparing students of color to excel in higher education; mentoring
students from high-poverty and underserved neighborhoods
- Stanford activities: mentor for Stanford College Prep, member of the
Political Chicano/Latino Activist Group MEChA
- leadership
practice area: officer for MEChA
- post-Stanford
plans: pursue a career in education and ultimately become a
university professor
"Injustice and
inequity continue to prevail in the twenty-first century. I cannot overlook the fact that students
of color continue to have fewer resources to pursue and excel in higher
education. With the incredible
resources and opportunities I have been afforded at Stanford, I choose action
because I hold the responsibility to level the playing field for future
generations."
Maritza Urquiza '13 (History/International Relations)
- service passions: education, youth
empowerment, immigrant rights
- Stanford activities: Stanford College Prep mentoring, Derechos (Pre-Law Society),
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), Education and Youth Development Summer Fellow, Alternative Spring Break to
Arizona
- other service experience you have: elementary school tutor
- leadership practice area: Stanford
College Prep
- post-Stanford plans: work in
the nonprofit sector serving low-income and minority communities and
eventually pursue a law degree or an MA in Public Policy
"I choose action over apathy
because I have experienced and seen many inequalities and injustices in the
communities that surround me that can only be resolved through action. I am
thankful for others in my community have taken action before me and whose actions
have allowed me to succeed. I feel it is my turn to give back and help give
others the opportunities they deserve."
Sean
Valle '13 (individually designed major: Genetic Engineering)
-
service passions: cancer awareness, public service impact awareness, health, education
-
Stanford activities: Stanford Relay For Life Chair,
Colleges Against Cancer, Undergraduate Medical Research
-
other service experience: American Cancer Society volunteer, Rotary
Interact District Representative, organized Plumas County Public Library
Children's Summer Program, 4-H Community Service volunteer
-
leadership practice area: Relay For Life
-
post-Stanford plans: enroll in a PhD/MD program and practice medical research
concerning genetic diseases.
"When I choose action over apathy, the
illuminating expressions of individuals, who's lives I strive to enhance and
enrich, have demonstrated the true impact that my actions can have. It is my
desire to illuminate even more faces, and only through my public service
actions can such a desire be fulfilled."
2010–2011 Candidates
2010–2011 Public Service Leadership Program Participants
Yordanos Asmare ’12 (Psychology)
- service interest: violence against women/human rights/education
- Stanford experience:
intern at the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness, tutor with EPASA,
alternative spring break participant
- other service experience: volunteer at the YWCA and an
HIV/AIDS orphanage
- leadership practice area: Center for Relationship Abuse
Awareness
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree and a career dedicated
to ending violence against women (either in the US or back home in Ethiopia)
“I choose action over apathy because there is so much
injustice, inequality, and wrong in the world which all needs to be acted up on
and changed. There are many overwhelming and concerning issues that need to be
dealt with and what is at stake is simply too great to be apathetic about and
not choose action.”

Karmia Chan Cao ’11 (English)
- service interest: promoting social change through
community-based arts; education for underserved populations
- Stanford experience: Asian American Theater Project; researcher
with the Stanford's School of Education
- other service experience: consultant to Compassion for
Migrant Children, student ambassador to The Salvation Army, volunteer at
Langfang Orphanage, co-founder of Operation 1001
- leadership practice area: Asian American Theater Project
- post-Stanford plans: pursue an MFA in Film Production or
Creative Non-Fiction
“Never, from the cradle to the grave, do human beings stop
making a difference in this world. For better or worse, consciously or
unwittingly, every one of us molds our planet. Public service is imperative to
me because I have come to grasp this truth and it compels me to strive for a
life of mindfulness, dedication and gratitude.”
Dora Duru ’12 (International Relations)
- service interest: genocide, international development, and reconstruction
- Stanford experience: member of STAND and Mock Trial
- other service experience: volunteer with Facing History and
Ourselves, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- leadership practice area: STAND
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a graduate degree in
international affairs
“I choose to be part of the solution, not the problem. I can
just imagine how much worse the world would be if we were all innocent
bystanders when confronted with the complex issues of the world. I want to be
remembered for being an architect of change.”
Racquel Enad ’11 (Human Biology)
- service interest: human trafficking
- Stanford experience: Science in Service mentor; member of the
Face AIDS National Team and the Rotaract Club; volunteer with SEALNet and the
Arbor Free Clinic
- other service experience: volunteer with Bless the Mind
Foundation and Visayan Forum Foundation
- leadership practice area: Bless the Mind Foundation, Face
AIDS, and Rotaract
- post-Stanford plans: work in a clinic in a developing
country and attend medical school
“Acts of public service can take us to new and greater
heights of human progress. People believe that developments such as technology
and scientific discoveries will advance humanity, but what will actually
advance humanity is the enhancement of our perception of interconnectedness. We
are all linked, and when we choose to serve another person, we in effect also
serve the global community.”
Sharada Jambulapati ’12 (International Relations)
- service interest: immigrant rights
- Stanford experience: member of Stanford Immigrant Rights
Project (SIRP), Stanford NexGen, Stanford Habla, Stanford Democrats; tutor with
East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA) ; participant in Impact Abroad trip to
India and Alternative Spring Break to Arizona
- other service experience: volunteer at Mountain View Day
Worker Center
- leadership practice area: Stanford Immigrant Rights Project
(SIRP)
- post-Stanford plans: join the Teach For America program;
pursue a law degree focusing on international human rights
“President
Barack Obama said, ‘we are the change we seek.’ I want to embody this statement
everyday with the hopes of improving my community for more tolerance,
diversity, and equality. Public service is the key to this goal.”
Stacy Kaufman ’11 (undeclared)
- service interest: health and cancer education
- Stanford experience: co-president of the Stanford chapter of
Colleges Against Cancer, member of the Stanford Tennis Club
- other service experience: Girl Scout for thirteen years (won
Silver and Gold Awards); president of high school Rotary Interact Club, United
Cultural Club, and Peer Assistance Leadership
- leadership practice area: Colleges Against Cancer
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career with the American
Cancer Society
“My parents instilled the values of hard work,
determination, and goal setting in me at a young age. These values lend themselves to action, especially in areas
that I am passionate about.”
Ariana Koblitz ’12 (Anthropology/Product Design)
- service interest: promoting student activism
- Stanford experience: volunteer with Dance Marathon
- other service experience: built up and led Big Sib program
in high school, participated in HFH chapter in Beijing, China
- leadership practice area: building a student grassroots
movement training portfolio for Stanford Voluntary Student Organizations
- post-Stanford plans: joining a design consultancy agency
“I choose action because it is my only way of assuring a
change in the world. Awareness of
a problem will get us no closer to an answer to the problem.”
Yu-Jin Lee ’11 (Human Biology)
- service interest: healthcare and its accompanying issues: water and sanitation, education
- Stanford experience: community special events executive and
campus education executive for Stanford Dance Marathon, research assistant in
Dr. Maldonado's lab working on poliovirus eradication
- other service experience: volunteer with Margo Maternity
Clinic and Royal Seed Home in Ofaakor, Ghana
- leadership practice area: Stanford Dance Marathon
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a degree in medicine, serve as
an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Centers for Disease Control,
and eradicate disease
“Upon reflection of my volunteer experience in Ghana, I
became very frustrated with my lack of skills, the seemingly inevitable
poverty, corruption, and the disparities between what the developed countries
gave and what the local communities received. I believe that public service is
the most accessible and important way of alleviating these frustrations and
actually providing direct, sustainable impact.”
Neveen Mahmoud ’11 (Psychology)
- service interest: poverty, including but not limited to
educational disparities and homelessness
- Stanford experience: president of NexGen, member of the women’s
club lacrosse team, member of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND)
- other service experience: co-founder of Project Skill Build,
volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
- leadership practice area: NexGen
- post-Stanford plans: move to New Orleans to work on Project
Skill Build and pursue a joint Master in Public Affairs/Juris Doctor program
“The minute ways in which I’ve successfully impacted others
makes me believe that acting in service of others is the most powerful way to
connect with humanity and effectively change the state of the world. This is
precisely why public service is so important to me.”
Alfredo Martinez, Jr. ’12 (History/International Relations)
- service issue: youth and education
- Stanford experience: volunteer with Relay for Life, Stanford
College Prep, Project WRITE, MEChA
- other service experience: tutor for UCSD Upward Bound
- leadership practice area: Relay for Life, Project WRITE, MEChA
- post-Stanford plans: work to improve access to education for
underserved youth in the US and around the world
“Participating in public service has greatly benefited my
time at Stanford by both adding meaning to what I learn. Public service has
also given me a venue to turn theory and thoughts into concrete results and
achievements.”
Matt Miller ’12 (Urban Studies)
- service interest: environmental justice
- Stanford experience: chair of the Environmental Committee
with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),
youth empowerment conference coordinator with the Black Student Union, founding
officer with Environmental Justice Coalition
- other service experience: fundraiser to rebuild Anaka
Secondary School in Northern Uganda through Invisible Children, math tutor,
youth programming leader at church, Outdoor School counselor
- leadership practice area: environmental justice, NAACP
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree and career that
addresses environmental inequity, especially for people of color and
socioeconomically-disadvantaged communities
“I am a first-generation college student from Tracy,
California by way of East Palo Alto. I hope to bridge my interests in
socioeconomic diversity, environmental equity, and youth engagement. I choose
to act in hopes that the efforts that I do can eradicate the addressable social
ills of my generation.”
Shazad Mohamed ’11 (Computer Science/Political Science)
-
service interest: international development and foreign policy
-
Stanford experience: co-president of FUSION (Future Social Innovators
Network), research assistant at Stanford GSB on nonprofit social impact
project, research project through Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society,
research project at the John W. Gardner Center
-
other service experience: nonprofit transparency work with
GuideStar.org, research assistant at Collaboration for Poverty Research
-
leadership practice area: FUSION
-
post-Stanford plans: become a social entrepreneur and policy maker on international
development issues
“My most important service activity has been working on my research on
nonprofit transparency. The work that we're doing has the potential to
meaningfully impact how resources are distributed in the nonprofit sector, and
potentially increase the effectiveness of charitable contributions that people
make.”
Jessica Pham ’12 (International Relations)
- service interest: anti-genocide
- Stanford experience: participant in Alternative Spring Break
(ASB) trip to New Orleans and Impact Abroad trip to India; member of STAND,
Branner house government, and Stanford Cheer
- other service experience: founded and presided over Friends
for Africa club in high school; volunteer with the American Cancer Society,
American Heart Society, and Friday Night Live
- leadership practice area: STAND
- post-Stanford plans: studying international affairs and law
“I feel a sense of responsibility to give back what I can by
using all that I have been given in this lifetime. This means using my education,
skills, and talents to help those in developing, third-world countries and
realizing that those factors are not just for my own success in the future, but
for the well-being of others who I will reach out to in the future.”
Jackie Rotman ’12 (Economics/Public Policy)
- service interest: youth empowerment and international development
- Stanford experience: co-president of Right to Education for
All Children (REACh), dancer in Dv8, dancer in Urban Styles, participant in
Impact Abroad, participant in Alternative Spring Break: Changemakers:
Perspectives on Public Service Leadership
- other service experience: founder and executive director of Everybody Dance
Now!, researcher for Educate! in Uganda, leader of social action trip to
Guatemala
- leadership practice area: Right to Education for All
Children (REACh), Everybody Dance Now!
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career in international
development
“What would my life be for if not to serve the world in some
way, or to leave it better than when I came? I believe that we don’t just inherit the earth; we borrow it
from our children. The energy I
gained from running Everybody Dance Now! enabled me to defy expectations and
showed me that when we work from a place of love and inspiration, our possibilities
are limitless.”
Alexandra Salgado ’11 (History/Political Science)
- service interest: immigration reform; poverty
- Stanford experience: member of Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), Stanford Immigrant Rights Project (SIRP), Stanford
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); participant in Alternative Spring Break
trip to Arizona dessert
- other service experience: research for the Mexican-American
Legal Defense and Education Foundation (MALDEF), social justice intern for
Partnership for Immigrant Leadership and Action (PILA), San Francisco Immigrant
Rights Defense Committee, intern for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
- leadership practice area: co-chair for MEChA; Stanford
Immigrant Rights Project
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a joint law degree and
MA in Public Policy and a career in civil rights advocacy work
“Public service is an opportunity to recognize the problems
in society and empower oneself to do something about them. I feel that public
service is a way to confront fear and ignorance and to develop a greater sense
of human understanding.”
Liesl Spitz ’11 (Drama/Human Biology)
- service interest: using art as a vehicle for social change.
- Stanford experience: directing and producing for Stanford
Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP) and other theater groups on
campus
- other service experience: counselor for people
with disabilities and assistant teacher at an elementary summer school program
- leadership practice area: STAMP
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career with arts organizations
that address specific community needs through education, activism, or other
means
“I want to share my love for performance, and give to others
the same opportunity for personal growth and inspiration that has been so
important to me.”
Melissa Suon ’11 (Political Science)
- service interest: underserved high school students
- Stanford experience: Impact Abroad trip to India
- other service experience: summer assistant with Lynn North
Shore Community College Upward Bound Program
- leadership practice area: Lynn Upward Bound Program
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree and a career in the
nonprofit sector
“I was a participant in the Upward Bound program for four
years and I have seen the impact it has made on my life. I would not be here at Stanford today
if it were not for the resources that I was given through that program. In return I just want to give back to
that community because it has given me so much.”
Lena Sweeney ’12 (Biology)
- service interest: rural health
- Stanford experience: tutor with Service in Science, Henry's Place, and East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT); member of NexGen, the Catholic Community,
and Mariachi
- other service experience: tutor with AVID; participant in
4-H and Alternative Spring Break; volunteer with Blind Babies Foundation,
Children's Hospital of Central California, Adopt a Star, and Breaking Down the
Walls
- leadership practice area: NexGen
- post-Stanford plans: attend medical school and work in
pediatrics in Central California
“Public service is important to me because life isn't
fair. So many people lack the
basic resources, encouragement, and support to achieve their dreams. For me, public service exists to
empower others (in ANY way) so they can make their own positive impact on the
world.”
Michael Tubbs ’12 (Sociology)
- service interest: youth empowerment
- Stanford experience: co-chair of Diversity and Tolerance
ASSU, mentor coordinator for Stanford College Prep, board fellow with New
Leader's Council through Stanford Non-Profits, co-coordinator of Black Student
Union Youth Empowerment Conference
- other service experience: motivational speaker with
Inspiring Speaker's Bureau, campaign leader for Children's Defense Fund
Campaign to End the Cradle to Prison Pipeline in California, co-founder of Save
Our Stockton (youth lobbying group), chair of City of Stockton Youth Advisory
Commission
- leadership practice area: education, student government
- post-Stanford plans: Teach for America, law school, social
justice work
“Public service is not a choice nor an option, but a necessity
given the dire need that marginalized and oppressed groups are in the world
over.”
Minh Dan Vuong ’11 (Economics)
- service interest: immigration/migration and education
- Stanford experience: program coordinators for Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) , participant in an immigration-themed ASB trip and leader of
an ASB trip to San Diego, founding member of the Stanford Immigrant Rights
Project (SIRP).
- other service experience: tutor and teacher in the community
- leadership practice area: Stanford Immigrant Rights Project
(SIRP)
- post-Stanford plans: pursue graduate studies in Management Science
and Engineering or Education and apply for Teach for America
“Public service gives me a sense of purpose in life. It
encompasses so many aspects from lifelong learning to sharing passions and joy
with others. It is about making a positive difference in somebody's—a friend's,
a neighbor's—life. It is about creating the just world I dream of, instead of
waiting for it.”
Kelsei Wharton ’12 (International Relations)
- service interest: working and street children issues; global
poverty; education
- Stanford experience: ASSU Undergraduate Senator; member of Senate
Associates Program and Volunteers in Latin America (VILA).
- other service experience: volunteer with the Big Brother Big
Sister Program at the Boys and Girls Club; volunteer with the Mural Music and
Arts Project (MMAP)
- leadership practice area: ASSU
- post-Stanford plans: considering pursuing a graduate degree
or joining the Peace Corps
“Since my early childhood, my parents stressed the
importance of working hard and believing in the benefits of an education and
being a global citizen. Although I've been afforded great opportunities, I know
that there are others who haven't been as fortunate as I have, so it's my duty
to balance the playing field for them as best as I can. I choose action because
there is no better day for change than today. I won't settle for waiting for
someone else to present solutions to the most pertinent issues of our time. I
am 1 of 6.8 billion people in this world. If we all choose action then we'll
live in a better place.”
Zack Wettstein ’11 (Human Biology)
- service interest: international health and health equity
- Stanford experience: volunteer and trip leader with Impact
Abroad in Nicaragua, peer health educator (PHE) in Rinconada dorm, teaching assistant
for Stepping Stones to Success Program, member of the Vaden Student Advisory
Committee, member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and tour manager of Stanford Mixed
Company a Cappella
- leadership practice area: Stepping Stones to Success and PHE
Programs
- post-Stanford plans: attend medical school and make a
difference in the international public health community, possibly as a CDC
Epidemic Intelligence Service officer
“I feel so fortunate to be here at Stanford, and I have only
made it this far with the help of countless others throughout my life. Service is important to me because it's
an opportunity to give back and help other people achieve their dreams and
goals, an experience that I have been lucky enough to have.”
Isabelle Wijangco ’12 (Human Biology)
- service interest: international development, health and education
- Stanford experience: Sophomore Class Co-President; REACh
Co-President; member of Catholics at Stanford, Stanford Ballroom Dance Team, and the Student
Activities Advisory Board
- other service experience: volunteer at the Barrow
Neurological Institute Neuro-Oncology Research Laboratory, president of the
Regina Caeli Chapter of the National Honor Society, math and biology tutor
- leadership practice area: international development, youth
empowerment, women's rights
- post-Stanford plans: attend medical school and pursuing a
career related to global health policy
“I believe we can actively make a change on a daily basis,
whether in our immediate communities or a wider setting, whether a simple act
for the day or a building block for a future vision. The time to act is now.”
Laura Yu ’12 (Public Policy)
- service interest: education equity, international
development
- Stanford experience: member of the ASSU Service Cabinet, the Forum for
Chinese-American Exchange at Stanford (FACES), Stanford in Government (SIG),
and Right to Education for All Children (REACh)
- other service experience: intern for Patrick Murphy for
Congress; tutor; volunteer with the Board of Directors for Foundation for a College
Education
- leadership practice area: Impact Pages Project for the ASSU
- post-Stanford plans: attend law school and pursue a career
either with an international aid organization, or in private sector development
“To me, service is not an act, but a lifestyle. My academic
and extra-curricular interests are many and varied, but public service is
always the unifying undercurrent. Everything I am interested in, all the change
I want to affect in the world, can connect to public service.”
2009–2010 Candidates
2009–2010 Public Service Leadership Program Participants
Avery Brown ’11 (International Relations)
- service interest: global poverty
- Stanford experience: Stanford Association for International Development; FACE AIDS; campus coordinator for Support for International Change (SIC)
- other service experience: HIV/AIDS microfinance research with Village Hopecore International (VHI) in Kenya; HIV/AIDS education and SIC in Tanzania
- leadership practice area: FACE AIDS
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a graduate degree and a career related to addressing global poverty
“During my time in East Africa, I experienced the tragedy of death from preventable and treatable diseases and saw how the lack of access to healthcare was not only a social justice issue, but also a huge barrier to development. This experience reaffirmed my commitment to improving health as a step toward alleviating poverty by providing each person the opportunity to work and live a healthy life.”
Thanh-Lan Bui ’10 (Science, Technology, and Society)
- service interest: educational equity
- Stanford experience: team leader for Jumpstart preschool program; fourth-grade tutor through Henry’s Place; publicity coordinator for Right to Education for All Children (REACH), a student group working towards improving education in Kenya and Bangladesh
- leadership practice area: Jumpstart
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a Master’s degree from the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP), law school, and a career focused on educational policy
“Working in East Palo Alto has opened my eyes to the existing inequalities in education and fueled my resolve to improve the education gap. I particularly care about early childhood education because I believe it is the essential building block for a child’s success in school.”
Aleya Dhanji ’10 (Physics)
- service interest: educational equity
- Stanford experience: founder and co-president of Right to Education for All Children (REACH), a student group working towards improving education in Kenya and Bangladesh; president of Leadership, Experience, Opportunity Club (LEO)
- leadership practice area: REACH
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a doctorate in Physics
“I believe that our only impediment to making the world a better place if our lack of will, and is sustained in my public service work by my faith in the human spirit’s immense capacity for hope and love.”
Iberia Elster ’11 (Earth Systems/International Relations)
- service interest: education and criminal justice
- Stanford experience: Haas Public Interest Law Fellowship with a private investigator on death penalty cases; Prisoners Literacy Project, an organization that provides free books to prisoners nationwide; Project Motivation, an organization that gives tours to low-income minority students
- leadership practice area: SPEAK and Project Motivation
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree focusing on international human rights and/or environmental law
“I believe that positive change is an external and internal process that occurs by embracing possibilities, not fear.”
Shelley Gao ’11 (History)
- service interest: balanced and inclusive political dialogue
- Stanford experience: chair of the Undergraduate Senate; director of community development for Stanford in Government
- leadership practice area: Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU)
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a graduate degree and make a contribution to US-China relations through diplomacy
“I believe the most effective way of realizing change is through the political process, and I seek to raise the quality of discourse and create a culture of engagement on campus.”
Jessica Jones ’10 (Human Biology)
- service interest: autism; supporting children with special needs and their families
- Stanford experience: Kids with Dreams, a student organization that works with special-needs children; Camp Kesem; Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
- other service experience: Camp Infinity, a camp in Georgia for teenagers with special needs
- leadership practice area: research and public service to support special-needs children
- post-Stanford plans: pursue an MD/PhD in Pediatric Neurology in order to provide support to children and families who deal with brain injuries or developmental disorders
“During my first year of high school, I suffered a serious brain injury, which should have left me physically and mentally impaired for the rest of my life. After an unexpected recovery, I latched onto the idea that the experience had not been an accident, and I now live with a greater conviction that I can make my life count.”
Salone Kapur ’10 (Comparative Literature/International Relations)
- service interest: international human rights and preventing violence against women
- Stanford experience: Chappell-Lougee research grant used to investigate judicial accountability in Kashmir; co-president and founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) chapter at Stanford; elementary-school tutor through Ravenswood Reads; executive board member of the Stanford Pre-Law Society; senior editor for The Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal; staff writer for The Stanford Daily
- leadership practice area: Stanford ACLU
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree specializing in human rights law and a career drafting national and international legislation on foreign policy issues related to gender-based violence
“Though service passions have taken me from working with youth issues to the elderly to education, the pervasive devastation of gender-based violence has motivated me to pursue a career tackling these issues.”
Steve Ko ’11 (Biology)
- service interest: medical missions and international health care
- Stanford experience: Impact Abroad trip to Nicaragua; community service coordinator for the Stanford Premedical Association; co-leader of Health Education for Life-Partnership for Kids (HELP), a student group that brings comprehensive health education to students of underserved communities; InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
- leadership practice area: HELP
- post-Stanford plans: to become a doctor who will positively impact the international community
“During my trip to Nicaragua, I was humbled by the happiness and gratitude with which the people—despite their depressingly impoverished living conditions—carried out their lives, and decided that to serve them would be an honorable mission for my own life.”
Leah Kuritzky ’10 (Chemistry)
- service interest: international health and the environment
- Stanford experience: local business outreach executive and director of external affairs for Stanford Dance Marathon
- leadership practice area: environmental science and Stanford Dance Marathon
- post-Stanford plans: become a scientist, philanthropist, and leader in the energy and climate crisis
“Dance Marathon was my introduction to the causes of international health equity and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention both at home and abroad. I am confident in the ability of the world to improve the lot of those currently living without healthcare and to one day soon see the eradication of HIV/AIDS in all parts of the world.”
Justin Libaw ’10 (Political Science)
- service interest: global health equity
- Stanford experience: co-founder of Initiative Against Malaria (I-Am); tutor for East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA); Stanford Youth Project; member of Alpha Phi Omega; Stanford in Government; Junior Class Cabinet
- other service experience: intern for Learn and Serve America, a Washington, DC-based organization that encourages and enables service-learning across the nation; Malaria No More, a nonprofit non-governmental organization working to end malaria deaths; intern with Civic Enterprises, a Washington, DC-based public policy firm; White House intern with USA Freedom Corps
- leadership practice area: I-AM
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career in medicine and public health
“My experience as a White House intern helped me to develop a better understanding of service on the national level and reaffirmed my belief in the goodness of the American people.”
Griffin Matthew ’10 (American Studies)
- service interest: health policy and cardiovascular disease in the African-American population
- Stanford experience: civil rights analyst with the Department of Justice through the Stanford in Washington Program; research with Professor Doug McAdam on the origins of contemporary American social movements; member of the varsity track and field team
- other service experience: medical public service projects in Honduras, Vietnam, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and Russia; volunteer with Shevet Achim, an Israeli-based medical organization that provides heart surgeries for Palestinian children; Multicultural Institute, a Washington, DC-based nongovernmental organization focused on eliminating human trafficking
- leadership practice area: public health service projects
- post-Stanford plans: pursuing an MPH/JD
“Ultimately, I hope to converge my passion for social justice with my interest in disparities in the healthcare system by pursuing a MPH/JD.”
Tyrone L. McGraw ’10 (American Studies)
- service interest: educational equity
- Stanford experience: varsity football and track player; Cardinal Council; member of the Committee on Athletics, Physical Education, and Research for Stanford University
- other service experience: the Academic Integrity Sub-Committee for NCAA Re-Certification
- leadership practice area: Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a Master’s degree from the Stanford Teacher Education Program and a JD/MBA and a career in social entrepreneurship and public service
“To date, my greatest public service experience involves bringing the vision of an original production of the play Bang Bang You’re Dead to my high school. Though the shows were free to the public, they raised about $2,000 in just three performances and we donated all of the proceeds to a local nonprofit Brothers Against Guns. For our efforts, my high school received an Official Proclamation from the City and County of San Francisco.”
Shannon Moskitis ’11 (Urban Studies)
- service interest: environmental justice; opportunities for youth; women’s empowerment
- Stanford experience: Haas International Service Grant to teach English to a community in rural Poland; leader of Stanford Outdoor Outreach Program (SOOP), which teachers students from East Palo Alto High School outdoor skills; assistant to the Science in Service Program; Students for a Sustainable Stanford; Kids with Dreams; Green Living Council
- leadership practice area: SOOP
“I believe that learning is not about being the best, but preparing yourself to give others your best, to make an impact on the world, a community, or a single person that is truly significant.”
John Mrkonic ’11 (Mathematics)
- service interest: education
- Stanford experience: Boys & Girls Club in East Palo Alto volunteer and Math Club co-founder for students in Edison McNair School’s High School Prep Program
- other service experience: student council president at Detroit Country Day School; Senator Obama’s presidential campaign in Iowa
- leadership practice area: Boys & Girls Club Math Club
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a degree in business
“I am most passionate about affecting positive change in the US educational system. I know that being an informed, concerned citizen is not enough. Instead, one has to be engaged and inspire and engage others in order to bring about the change you know is necessary.”
Janessa Nickell ’11 (Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity; minor in Middle Eastern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)
- service interest: cross-cultural dialogue and inter-faith connections, especially as they relate to diplomacy and conflict
- Stanford experience: operations committee member for Stanford in Government (SIG); assistant at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford
- other service experience: founder of English language learners tutoring program in high school
- leadership practice area: SIG and public service projects affecting the Middle East
- post-Stanford plans: explore human rights work and international politics
“I have been curious about difference for as long as I can remember. How are we different? What is the significance of this difference? How can we learn and teach others to value and respect this difference?”
Charmaine Peck ’10 (Economics)
- service interest: poverty in South East Asia
- Stanford experience: South East Asia Leadership Network (SEALNet), working with students in Muba, Indonesia, to restock their school libraries; coordinator for Project Indonesia 2008 to Aceh on water sanitation project
- other service experience: president of high school Interact Club; Dover Hospice in Singapore; Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
- leadership practice area: public service project for a nonprofit organization
- post-Stanford plans: return to Singapore for government service
“I stumbled upon public service after tearing my knee ligament and getting kicked off the basketball team when I was 14 (when everyone was still 5”2). With my newfound time, I tutored children from underserved families and realized how lucky I was.”
Ariana Poursartip ’10 (Economics/International Relations)
- service interest: environmental sustainability and economic development
- Stanford experience: Stanford in Government (SIG) Fellow in Lima, Peru, working for the Global Center for Development and Democracy; co-director of SIG International Fellowship; subgroup leader of Students for a Sustainable Stanford; member of Stanford Consulting
- leadership practice area: Students for a Sustainable Stanford
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career in private sector development in Latin America and the Middle East
“The process of identifying the barriers to development and empowering people to find strategies to address them at the local level is what inspires me most.”
Suejung Shin ’11 (Environmental Engineering)
- service interest: the environment; technology; social entreprenuership
- Stanford experience: Alpha Phi Omega, the community service fraternity; tutor with Barrio Assistance; Community Service Work Study placement at BUILD, a nonprofit that teaches entrepreneurship to underserved high school students; Green Campus
- other service experience: president of high school Interact Club
- leadership practice area: pursue a career in renewable energy technology for developing nations
“While searching for a link between public service and technology, I came across the movement of renewable energy for international development. I was astounded to hear about the intricate link between poverty and access to electricity, and was forever converted to becoming a part of the solution for the pressing environmental issues of the day.”
Brittany Stich ’10 (Political Science)
- service interest: educational equity and opportunities in East Palo Alto
- Stanford experience: Closing the Gap, an East Palo Alto-based mentoring program; Stanford Sierra Camp counselor; president of Kappa Alpha Theta
- leadership practice area: Closing the Gap
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a law degree and work as a child advocate
“I have proudly spent the past three years at East Palo Alto Charter School, as both a participant and now coordinator of Closing the Gap, striving to be a proactive agent of change for these sixth through eighth graders. It is within these youth that I sees hope; I truly believe in the power of their dreams.”
Charlie Syms ’11 (undeclared)
- service interest: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT)rights; sexual health; support for LGBT youth
- Stanford experience: Service, Spirituality, and Social Change Fellowship; peer counselor at the Stanford Sexual Health Peer Resource Center (SHPRC); counselor with HIV*PACT
- leadership practice area: LGBT Community Resources Center student staff member
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a graduate degree and work with a nonprofit organization focused on human rights
“Through the Haas Center, I have been able to expand my commitment to service while also developing an understanding of the ethics of public service. My passion for service stems from a desire to catalyze positive change for those often marginalized by society.”
Jamie Tam ’10 (Biology)
- service interest: health and minority rights
- Stanford experience: president of the Stanford chapter of Colleges Against Cancer; Queer-Straight Alliance; Community Academic Support and Advising (CASA) mentor to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT)-identified freshmen; co-leader of Stanford’s campaign against California Proposition 8
- other service experience: member of the California division of the American Cancer Society’s Youth and Cancer Team
- leadership practice area: cancer issues; LGBT advocacy
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a career related to health advocacy and minority rights
“I hope that my work leading campaigns to spread cancer awareness and fight the tobacco industry will inspire my peers to lead in the youth movement against cancer as well.”
Darius White ’11 (undeclared)
- service interest: educational equity
- Stanford experience: East Palo Alto Stanford Academy mentor (EPASA); peer counselor at the Career Development Center; Men Against Abuse Now (MAAN)
- leadership practice area: EPASA and MAAN
“Every Stanford student has had that one teacher who has inspired him or her. For that reason, I hope that my interest in social and developmental psychology, urban studies, and ethnic studies will give me the skills and cultural perspectives needed to be a valuable teacher and a role model.”
Josh Wong ’10 (Human Biology)
- service interest: healthcare
- Stanford experience: Patient Advocacy Program; leader of Alternative Spring Break (ASB) to the California Central Valley to study healthcare of migrant farm workers; Student Association for International Development (SAID); research assistant at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital on infant immune responses to measles vaccines
- other service experience: HIV/AIDS research in Tanzania and Kenya
- leadership practice area: ASB and patient advocacy
- post-Stanford plans: pursue a degree in medicine and serve as a doctor for the Center for Disease Control’s Epidemic Intelligence Surveillance
“While I may seem a trifle goofy on the surface, I am quite serious about ameliorating the health of underserved communities both locally and internationally.”
Previous Fellows
2008–2009
Lia Bonamassa ’10 (Human Biology)
Eutiquio Chapa ’10 (Public Policy)
James Chu ’10 (undeclared)
Abimbola Dairo ’10 (Human Biology)
Jay de la Torre ’10 (Urban Studies)
Stefanie Demong ’09 (English/Urban Studies)
Amanda Gelender ’09 (Drama/Political Science)
Sarah Golabek-Goldman ’10 (History/Political Science)
Mondaire Jones ’09 (Political Science)
Pin-Yi Ko '09 (Human Biology)
Kasiana McLenaghan '09 (Economics)
Angie McPhaul '10 (Urban Studies)
Niko Milonopoulos '09 (Political Science)
Theo Milonopoulos '09 (Political Science)
Garrett Neiman ’10 (Economics)
Jessica Perez ’10 (English)
Lauren Ponti ‘10 (Psychology/Urban Studies)
Meera Subash ’09 (Human Biology)
Mario Suntanu '09 (Mathematical and Computational Science)
Rebecca Tisdale ’09 (Human Biology)
Ronnie Tisdale ‘10 (Individually Designed Major)
2007–2008
Amie Baron ’08 (Public Policy)
Luke Beckman ’09 (Human Biology)
Kirby Bumpus '08 (Human Biology)
Di Dang '08 (Philosophy/Religious Studies)
Lauren Finzer ’09 (Human Biology)
Ashley Holland ’08 (Urban Studies, MA ’08 Communications)
Aaron Jackson ’09 (International Relations/Psychology)
Amanda Johnson ’08 (Psychology)
Elizabeth Kersten
Andi Kleissner ’08 (Mechanical Engineering)
Ginille Lazaro ’09 (Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity)
Joseph Liu ’08 (Chemistry)
Lang Liu ’08 (Cultural and Social Anthropology/Economics)
Andrew Meyer ’09 (Science, Technology, and Society)
Tu Ngo '09(Public Policy)
Rachel Shen ’09 (Management Science and Engineering)
Daniel Shih ’09 (Political Science)
James Vaughan ’09 (Political Science)
2006-2007
Meredith Theresa Bell
Eric Boromisa
Kirby Bumpus
Lindsay Caldwell
Matthew Cano
Theodora (Theo) Chang
Niccolina Clements
Jonny Dorsey
Shadi Gholizadeh
Lauren Graham
Jacob Lemieux
Wei Wei Liu
Susan Lou
Michael McDaniels
Elizabeth Pratt
Jessica Richman
Kenneth Shaw
Amparo Vazquez
Megan Watkins
Carl Michael Woodward
Joanna Yang
Lauren Young