Pioneer on Campus: Stanford University

Welcome back to Pioneer on Campus! In this series, we share some examples of past “Pioneer on Campus” events, organized by Pioneer alumni. These events are informal, casual meetups where Pioneer alumni connect and learn more about each other’s research and interests.

What do 17 astronauts, 74 billionaires and one president have in common? They all went to Stanford! With a campus size rivaling many small towns, it’s no wonder that so many luminaries graduated from this prestigious institution.  If you don’t believe us, just Google it! In your searching you may find that Google has its roots at Stanford, as Larry Page worked on it while a PhD student there.

In this edition we take the show on the road to Stanford,  where 45 Pioneer alumni were admitted between 2020 and 2021, and talk to current student, and Pioneer Scholar, Angeline (neuroscience, 2020) about what it’s like to get together with others who completed the Pioneer Research Program.

Organizing any social event can be a daunting task, especially when you’re juggling college classes and other extracurricular activities. Organizer Angeline took it all in stride, and was thrilled to discover personal connection through a shared experience.

“I loved finding community in Pioneer through my cohort and fellow Advisory Board members, and I wanted to extend that sense of community and shared love for research to my college campus” she said. “It’s especially exciting knowing that there are students on Stanford’s campus who share a Pioneer experience that I also had, and I wanted to be able to bring us all together and find that connection so that we can have Pioneer people to lean on for support, mentorship, sharing research opportunities, or even just friendship!”

While Angeline noted the importance of the mutual bond created by the Pioneer research experience, she also felt that the differences among her peers could also make for lively conversation.

“I really enjoyed all the conversations we had, as a group and one-on-one! It’s so interesting to hear about the different experiences all of us have had at Pioneer and on campus, and listening to everyone’s perspective reminds me of why I love research (both in undergrad and Pioneer) and finding community because of it.”

Stay tuned for future Pioneer on Campus events at other universities. To learn more about Pioneer and our alumni network, check out our official Instagram @Pioneer_Academics, our student-run Instagram page @scholarsofpioneer, or our LinkedIn page.