Where Were You at 22?

At age 22, Stanford University’s current president was studying at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. During this time in his life, MTL was passionate about philosophy and physiology - and was looking for a way to combine these interests in his future career. In his search for the next chapter in his life, MTL also studied as an undergraduate at McGill University, took a gap year to run a student organization in Canada, and switched academic fields before realizing the path to success isn’t always linear. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

During his senior year at UCSD, Snehal Naik was 22 years old, and a Commissioner of Programming for Student Government. After coming into college as a pre-med, Snehal quickly discovered a new passion for Student Affairs, and was able to plan and execute events with guests like Outkast and Dr. Maya Angelou, even when people told him that it wouldn’t be possible. Today, Snehal is the Senior Director for Student Engagement at Stanford.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Before becoming the Assistant Dean and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Stanford, Amanda Rodriguez was all over the place at age 22. Two months before graduating from UC Irvine, she discovered a passion for student affairs, and decided to make a quick pivot to that career. She went on to become a founding staff member at UC Merced before moving to Colorado to pursue a graduate degree in Student Affairs. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After graduating from Stanford, Chris Piech spent his 22nd year seeing the world and doing nothing. As he watched his friends immediately create startups, work at big companies, and begin graduate school, Chris decided he wanted more time to think intentionally about his next step. When a friend called and offered him a job he turned it down, knowing he needed more time to take a break. Today, Chris is a professor in the CS department. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

During age 22, Chris Lorway spent half of his year at Dalhousie University and the other half at the University of Western Ontario. When the President of Dalhousie wanted to end the arts programs, Chris took a stand by taking his love for the arts to another school. Instead of following in his family’s footsteps of business and law, Chris paved his own way forward in the arts world with many different roles including internships, festivals, and consulting. For the last four years, he has been the Executive Director of Stanford Live. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Alex Ketley started dancing at age 7, found ballet at age 14, and joined the SF Ballet Company at age 19. By the time he was 22, Alex decided to leave the company to follow a passion for choreography. He worked on many projects over the years, some successful, some terrible, but all ones that helped him learn and grow as a choreographer. He also developed a love for teaching, and works at Stanford as a lecturer for classes like Ballet and Hot Mess Dance. Check out one of Alex’s pieces, No Hero, here: https://vimeo.com/198545316Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Emelyn dela Peña has been the Associate Vice Provost for Inclusion, Community and Integrative Learning at Stanford for the last year. However, back at age 22, Emelyn was having an identity crisis about her future career options. She was a senior at UCSD and had changed her major five times from engineering, to computer science, to political science, and finally ethnic studies. She was also an RA during this year, and realized her passion for helping students could help drive her job opportunities moving forward. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

At 22, Mark Duggan was completing a masters degree in Electrical Engineering at MIT. Unsure of his next steps, he applied to law school and took an economics class to begin preparing. However, this class uncovered a passion for Econ, and began him on the path to another degree in the subject. Since then, Mark has spent time as a professor, a researcher, and working on economic policy for the White House. Eventually he found his way to Stanford, where he now teaches in the Economics department and is the Director of SIEPR.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Right after finishing high school, Susie Brubaker-Cole started college at the University of Oregon. By the time she was 22 she was feeling lost, had dropped out of school, and moved to San Francisco. She spent time there saving up money to return to college and made the realization that she wanted to study interdisciplinary humanities. With a newfound excitement, she began studying at the University of Washington, eventually pursuing a PhD on the east coast and a career in student affairs at Stanford. Susie is currently Stanford’s Vice Provost for Student Affairs. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Six months before turning 22, Zac Sargeant he met his wife at a skydiving center where he was working on the weekends. During the week, Zac worked at a winery during the day and a restaurant at night, trying to figure out what he wanted to do next. He moved with his wife to the Bay Area a few months later and got a job working on Stanford’s campus at a non profit while also taking night classes for a bachelors degree. He continued his career at Stanford, and today he is the Director of Selection and Training for Student Staff. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

For the majority of her 22nd year, Ankita Rakhe was a senior at Vanderbilt. During the second half of her time there, she devoted her energy to three passions: a service organization that focused on tutoring, the South Asian Student Organization where she helped run cultural programming and community, and a social sorority. A conflicting moment during her senior year made her realize the passion she had for helping students, and eventually lead her to grad school for Student Affairs. After working at two other Universities, Ankita is now the Director of Student Activities in the Office of Student Engagement at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jerusalem, Israel is where Patricia Karlin-Neumann found herself at age 22, training to become one of the first women Rabbis. A year before this, she was finishing her degree in Nonviolent Social Change at an experimental college, asking her advisors what her next steps should be. When her Irish Catholic Philosophy professor told her during her senior year that she should become a Rabbi, she laughed. She had not been particularly interested in religion growing up, but she decided to take a chance and apply to Rabbinic school. On Stanford’s campus, Patricia Darlin-Neumann is the Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

For more than 20 years, Donnovan Somera Yisrael has served as a coach and lecturer for Wellbeing at Stanford. However, at age 22, Donnovan was graduated from Stanford and just finishing a summer at Sierra Camp. He came back to his parents home in Sacramento with no life plan and spent the next year working more than ten different jobs. Eventually, he landed a temporary position giving health presentations about HIV in schools, launching his career in wellness and health. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In 1982, Valerie Red-Horse was 22 years old, and she was getting married. She met her husband at UCLA while she was a cheerleader and he was a football player. After graduating, her husband was drafted to the Oakland Raiders, and Valerie spent time in different industries including investment banking and business founding. Her major in Film Studies eventually lead her to start her own film production company, additionally because she was frustrated about how Native Americas were being stereotyped in Hollywood. Val is currently Chair of the Board of (CCSRE) Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity as well as a faculty lecturer at Stanford.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, Colin Kahl takes us back before age 22, discussing how his childhood and upbringing have influenced his choices and actions over the years. When he graduated from the University of Michigan, an incomplete thesis led him to continue studying through the summer. Two weeks after completing this degree, he moved to New York for a PhD. Since finishing this program, Colin has spent time between academic institutions and government offices, including the While House and the Pentagon, working on National Security. Today, he is a Co-Director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and a professor in the Political Science department. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In 2011, A-lan Holt graduated from Stanford with a degree in CSRE. Ten days later, she moved to New York without a job, determined to realize her passion for playwriting and the arts. She tried flipping an internship into a job, spent time in marketing, was a full-time playwright, and had a daughter. Soon afterwards, she moved back to LA to be with her family and eventually made her way back to the Bay Area. For the last five years she has been the Director of the Institution for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Before joining the Stanford’s Mechanical Engineering faculty as the first female professor, Sheri Sheppard spent time working at different jobs in the motor industry. She had always loved cars, and after receiving a bachelors in Engineering Mechanics around age 22, she began working at the Chrysler Institute Program, getting to rotate through many different roles in the industry. Eventually, after working at Ford Motor Company, she made her way to California and to Stanford, beginning her teaching and researching career.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

At 22, Dereca Blackmon was in New York, participating as an extra in the Spike Lee film Malcolm X. Following her desire to be a filmmaker, she stopped out of undergrad for a short period of time, eventually returning to finish her degree a few years later. She continued to hold a variety of positions that aligned with her passions: storytelling, education, and diversity and inclusion training. She has previously served as the Director of the Diversity and First-Generation office at Stanford and taught the popular class Intergroup Communication (PSYCH103). Today, she is the CEO of the Inclusion Design Group.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colin talks about graduating and starting to work at Equinox as a personal trainer before realizing that so many of the aspects he enjoyed about the role centered around improving body image and mental health. Having staffed as a PHE himself in Toyon for two years, he eventually ended up back at Stanford leading the PHE program under Well Being at Stanford. Colin shares insights about toxic productivity mindsets especially during quarantine while also detailing his own personal wellness journey.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Matt Snipp was 22 during his senior year at UC Davis, and had already decided that he would be attending graduate school the coming fall. After spending a summer working with teenagers in Sacramento through a low income housing project, he packed up everything he owned into a U-Haul and drove to the University of Wisconsin Madison. His interest in sociology, American Indians, and demography drove him to publish important work in these fields as he finished his degree. Today he is the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Engagement, a Professor of Sociology, and an RF in Murray. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After finishing her undergraduate career at age 22, Allyson Hobbs took six months off to spend time with her sister and her family. A former internship at Goldman Sachs helped her determine that investment banking wasn’t what she wanted to do, and she instead took a position in the advertising business. As she searched for her next steps, she took a chance on applying to graduate school, and developed a passion for a subject she hadn’t thought much about before. Today, Allyson is the Director of the African and African American Studies Department at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After graduating from Cal, Gabe Wolfenstein headed to work as a paralegal in a law firm in Los Angeles, interested in potentially going to law school and still living in his childhood bedroom. After a few months, Gabe realized that he really wanted to pursue a degree in history, and spent time in New York and at UCLA doing so. At Stanford, he’s had a variety of roles, in THINK, CESTA, and currently as an Academic Advising Director. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The day after turning 22, Mackenzie Russell got engaged, and soon moved to northwest Arkansas. With a brand new drivers license and a comparative literature degree, she got a job in market research at Sam’s Club Corporate Headquarters. However, her passion for literature and writing pushed her to apply for graduate school at Stanford, where she currently teaches Stanford online high school and is known among undergraduates for teaching Ghost Stories in the PWR Department. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In 1988, Mehran Sahami showed up at Stanford for the first time as a freshman, having never visited campus before. He went on to become an RA, an RCC, and an RF during his time as an undergraduate and grad student. His involvement in the CS106 section leading program inspired him to explore teaching as a career, and motivated him to pursue a PhD at Stanford to make it happen. He is currently known for his involvement in the CS department and for teaching Stanford’s introduction to computer science class, CS106A. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

DJ Dull-Mackenzie, Stanford’s current Visitor Relations Director, transferred into Stanford as an undergraduate from community college. As he approached age 22, DJ decided to pivot from stem to the humanities and changed his major to communications. After graduating, he held positions at Stanford Sierra Camp, in San Francisco’s City Hall, and at the Alumni Association before finding a current home at the Visitor Center.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The day after graduating from Harvard, 22-year-old Susan McConnell walked into the college job center and found a position at the graduate school of education working for a psychologist. His book project on intelligence helped foster her love for neuroscience and motivated her to continue her studies in graduate school. A postdoc program brought her to Stanford, where she has spent the last 31 years in the Biology Department. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Professors Blair and Caroline Hoxby were born on exactly the same day, and spent their 22nd birthday together while attending Harvard, eating at a local restaurant and sharing cake with their friends. Shortly afterwards, the pair made their way to Oxford to study, Blair in the English department and Caroline in Economics. Their studies and passion for education eventually brought them back to the east coast where they spent time teaching and researching before coming to Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Growing up, Victor Saad moved all throughout the midwest, and found a community in after school Church programming. He spent his entire college career studying to be a Youth Paster, and graduated around age 22 with a job working at a Church with a Youth Group. Five years later, Victor pivoted and began looking for a program that would help him learn skills in design and business. However, he ended up designing his own masters program, completing 12 projects in 12 months and eventually making his way to Stanford as a Lecturer and Program Lead for Design Summer. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

From the beginning of his freshman year at Brown, Bernard Muir knew he wanted to be an athletic director. Around age 22, after an undergraduate career on the men’s basketball team, he took an internship in the Athletic Department at Butler University. Through hard work and mentorship, Bernard continued to learn more about behind the scenes work that makes college athletics possible, and eventually landed the position of Stanford’s Athletic Director.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

To finish her undergraduate career at age 22, Amy Larimer took a “super senior” fifth year to switch from Psychology and complete a degree in Architecture. Before moving on to graduate school, Amy embarked on a backpacking trip to Europe, and formed a very important relationship with a fellow traveler named Drew. Her emphasis on love and relationships as an important and joyful part of life kept bringing her and Drew back together, and her passion for education lead her to become the Assistant Director of the Architectural Design Program as well as an RF in Rinconada. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

By the time he was 22, Rufus Olivier had just landed a position in the San Francisco Symphony playing the Bassoon. A production of The Sound of Music in junior high school inspired him to pick up a Bassoon and begin learning the instrument that would eventually become his career. Now, many years later, Rufus is the Principal Bassoonist of the SF Opera and Ballet as well as a professor of music classes at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

During the 2008 Financial Crisis, Jenny Odell graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in English, and felt the pressure of getting a job. Instead of going straight to work, a summer program in graphic design the year before inspired her to apply for the MFA Program for Design and Technology at the San Francisco Art Institute. Jenny eventually worked at GAP, practiced photography, and made art using Google Maps all before becoming a full time professor in the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After graduating from college, Tara VanDerveer, Stanford’s head basketball coach, returned home for a summer with her family. After becoming the first woman working on the grounds crew at Chautauqua Lake in New York, she eventually made her way to Florida in the fall, where she couldn’t find a single job. She came home again, with plans to study for the LSAT and eventually go to law school. However, she ended up finding a passion in coaching her sister’s high school basketball team that would ignite her career as a college basketball coach. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

With a new masters degree and a passion for International politics, Condoleezza Rice moved back in with her parents at 22 years old, looking for a job. She taught piano and filled in for her father’s secretary as she searched for work during the height of a recession. Eventually, a former professor from her undergraduate studies at the University of Denver reached out and encouraged her to take classes again, eventually leading to a PhD, a job at the White House, and a position at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

At 22, Christine Min Wotipka was finishing her Honors Thesis on Moroccan Education at the University of Minnesota while working part time at a Mongolian BBQ. From there, she transitioned out of undergrad and into an amazing experience in the Peace Corps in Thailand. Her work in education both in the classroom and around the world inspired her to pursue a PhD at Stanford, and eventually become a faculty member in the school of education and an RF in the Education and Society Theme (EAST) House. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

When he was just 22, Chris Makler was living in a four hundred and fifty square-foot apartment in LA trying to get a career started as a screenwriter. After quitting his first job at an advertising agency three weeks in, a temp job at UCLA Live ignited a passion for arts management and sent him back to graduate school. He sat in on an Econ class at UCLA and realized how much he loved economics, eventually coming to Stanford to teach in the Economics Department. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Taking us through her first year in graduate school, Katherine Preston details how she was able to find her research passion studying biology and botany. She explains how the basic blocks of understanding nature extend to her love for teaching in her current role as Associate Director and Professor of the Human Biology Program.Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Following her college graduation, Emily Polk set off at age 22 to walk around the world. She began her journey in Ireland with minimal supplies including a two person tent, her harmonica, and a hunger to learn about unique perspectives from across the globe. Her love for storytelling, environmental justice, and journalism inspired her as she moved through many different countries, jobs, and eventually to the PWR department at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After receiving a degree in Social Studies from Harvard College, Harry Elam believed his next step after graduation would be attending law school. However, his passion for theatre and the arts lead him to Berkeley, where he pursued a PhD in Dramatic Arts. With an excitement for teaching and writing, he eventually made his way to Stanford, where he now serves as Vice Provost for Undergrad Education and VP of the Arts. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Before she became the Faculty Director of Stanford’s CCSRE department, Jennifer DeVere Brody was a graduate student at UPenn, passionate about black women writers, queer studies, and African American studies. Works like Beloved and The Color Purple helped her intellectual development flourish and activism became a very important part of her life. Jennifer’s additional passions for fashion and the arts drove her to become a mentor and develop curriculum in over eight academic institutions. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In the middle of the Vietnam War, Richard Shaw finished his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth when activism was at its peak. He headed west after graduation, unsure of where he was going, but letting his love for college drive him to five different academic institutions and eventually to the position of Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

At age twenty-two, Rachel Aumann was working full time for an insurance brokerage and taking twenty-one units of night classes, on a mission to transfer to a UC and complete her undergraduate education. Her inspiration came from stumbling into a role at a community bakery for adults with developmental disabilities. This position fueled her passion for social work and began her journey to the role of a Residence Dean at Stanford. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A car accident during his junior year at Stanford lead Dan Klein, a current lecturer of improvisation, to reassess his major, passion, and career path after college. After taking a year off from school, Dan returned to his studies with a newfound excitement for improv, vowing that his goal in life would be to just get a little bit better at improv every day. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mona Hicks, Stanford's current Dean of Students, found her calling in higher education and student empowerment through building youth programs at the Parks and Rec department in Austin, Texas. Around age 22, Mona played soccer as a student athlete, took some time off from school, and decided that her passion for helping young people would lead her to someday become a Dean of Students. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Before founding Stanford's d.school, David Kelley spent time working as an engineer at Boeing, road tripping across the country, and sharing one car amongst twelve friends as they built the foundation for a little design company called IDEO. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In our very first episode, meet Nate Boswell, a former Stanford graduate and current Special Assistant in Stanford Student Affairs. Nate's journey at 22 took him to an SF startup, a period of sandwiches and contemplation, a role in finance at his alma mater, and the chance to work at one of the most successful companies in Silicon Valley history. Fearless First by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-firstLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/