Mosaic: Reflecting on the past, imagining the future
CARDINAL SERVICE: 10 YEARS OF EXPANDING IMPACT
Funded summer opportunities open doors
Growth in demand for post-graduation fellowships
Supporting young learners
FINANCIALS
Expenses
Revenues
EXPLORE
Spring into Service
Citizenship in Action
Students explore community health in Oaxaca
Building equitable climate solutions
Democracy Day
Cardinal Course blends urban planning with public service
Continued growth in Cardinal Quarter
Cardinal Quarter opportunities in policy
Cardinal Quarter opportunities in public interest technology
Engaging students and families in early literacy
A decade of partnership and early math success
Stanford students and youth learning together
Stanford Outdoor Outreach Project
Beyond service: Lessons learned
New winter program engages sophomores in service
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
LEAD
StanfordVotes wins statewide award
Exploring careers in public service
Graduate students in community engagement
Creating
Sansón
LAUNCH
Forty years of Gardner Fellows
Cardinal Careers Fellows
Community Impact Fellowship
Placements
John Gardner Public Service Fellowship
One-Year Schneider Fellowship
Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy
International Bridge Fund
2025 Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitors
Engaging alumni
Connections with students serving over the summer
HONORING ALUMNI ADVANCING THE GREATER GOOD
Gayatri Datar, MBA ’14
Pamela Ronald, MS ’84
AWARDS
Haas Awards
Bill Somerville Grassroots Community Award
Friends of Haas Award
Kennedy-Diamond Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Learning and Research
Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service
Walk the Talk Service Leadership Award
ADVISORY BOARDS & SUPPORTERS
National Advisory Board
Directors’ Circle and Sustaining Families
Letter from the Directors
As a new academic year begins, we carry with us the joy of our endof-year celebration in May, when students, staff, and friends of the Haas Center came together to commemorate another year of service at Stanford and launch seniors into their post-college adventures. Between sharing delicious food, striking poses in the photo booth, and celebrating students’ extraordinary work, the event was a reminder of how vibrant and inspiring this community truly is.
This year carries special significance as we celebrate the completion of 10 years of Cardinal Service and 40 years of the Haas Center for Public Service. Over these decades, thousands of students have served communities near and far, developing skills and values that continue to shape their careers and lives. Alumni often tell us that their service experiences at Stanford deepened their sense of purpose, guided their professional trajectories, and strengthened their commitment to civic leadership.
Our community partnerships are an important aspect of this work. Through thorough preparation and meaningful collaborations with local, national, and global organizations, students learn to engage thoughtfully and contribute to solutions that meet real needs. These partnerships are growing not just in number but also in depth, reflecting Stanford’s commitment to reciprocity and impact.
The 2024–25 academic year launched on a high note with the Cardinal Service Fair during New Student Orientation, where 800 students connected with 52 student service groups and 16 community organizations. To better support our nearly 150 student service organizations, we piloted a new advising model that tailors guidance to each group’s needs. Student Peer Advisors and Issue Area Coordinators are now working alongside staff advisors to offer more timely and personalized support.
The Cardinal Quarter program continues to break its own records— this summer, almost 650 students served communities at home and abroad in full-time fellowships and internships. We are also launching 24 students into their first jobs in service through our year-long Cardinal Careers fellowships.
We continue to work with faculty to incorporate community-engaged learning and research into their courses. This past year, 2,138 students enrolled in these Cardinal Courses. The Haas Center has also expanded its own curricular offerings, including Citizenship in Action and the spring Ethics and Leadership in Public Service course, which enrolled 61 students exploring ethical questions and leadership in public service contexts.
Looking ahead, we are excited to engage young alumni more deeply in our programming and to begin shaping our next five-year strategic plan with input from our National Advisory Board.
We hope you enjoy reading about the transformational work of our students, faculty, and staff, in partnership with community and government organizations in the Bay Area and all over the world. Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support helps us sustain a culture of service at Stanford that continues to grow stronger with every passing year.
Yi-Ching Ong Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director, Haas Center for Public Service
Juliet Brodie
Peter E. Haas Faculty Director, Haas Center for Public Service
Celebrating 40 years of service at Stanford
Launching a legacy
In the early 1980s, then-President Donald Kennedy, recognizing the importance of public service to Stanford’s educational mission, hired Catherine Milton, a former U.S. Senate and Treasury Department staffer, to develop a strategy for integrating service into student life. Milton’s recommendation led to the establishment of the Public Service Center in 1985, located in Owen House. The center aimed to connect students with meaningful service opportunities and foster a culture of civic engagement on campus.
In 1989, a generous donation from the Haas family endowed the center, allowing for the expansion of services and the development of new programs aimed at deepening student involvement in public service, along with a dedicated new building that is now the Haas Center for Public Service. Under the leadership of Milton and subsequent directors, the Haas Center became a hub for students seeking to make a positive impact. Programs such as the Ravenswood Stanford Tutoring Program and the Student Volunteer Network connected students with local communities, while summer and post-graduation fellowships offered opportunities for service both domestically and internationally. In 2015, the Cardinal Service initiative was launched to further integrate service into Stanford’s education experience.
Mosaic: Reflecting on the past, imagining the future
To mark its 40th anniversary, the Haas Center produced Mosaic, a three-episode podcast exploring the center’s past, present, and future. Episode one features early contributors who shaped Stanford’s Public Service Center, episode two highlights students sharing their experiences integrating service into academics, and episode three offers insights from the Haas Center’s leadership team on the center’s future directions.
Step back in time
Catherine Milton (left) with Stanford’s President Don Kennedy at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Haas Center building in 1992
Celebrating 40 years of service at Stanford
Cardinal Service: 10 years of expanding impact
Cardinal Service, established in 2015 as a campus-wide initiative to make service an essential part of a Stanford education, builds on 30 years of work by the Haas Center and its partners. Guided by recommendations from the Study of Undergraduate Education at Stanford, and championed by the Haas Center’s Faculty Steering Committee, National Advisory Board, and senior leadership, the initiative focused on four programs designed to have a transformative impact on students:
• Cardinal Quarter: A full-time, funded summer or quarter of service
• Cardinal Courses: Academic classes with a community-engaged component
• Cardinal Commitment: A sustained, significant service engagement by students
• Cardinal Careers: Guidance, resources, and post-graduation fellowships for students pursuing public-interest work
Over the past decade, student involvement and demand for these programs has increased, strengthening a campus-wide culture of service and setting the stage for even greater impact in the years ahead.
Funded summer opportunities open doors
Over the past 10 years, the Haas Center has supported more than 4,800 Stanford students in deepening their knowledge and exploring purposeful careers through Cardinal Quarter Fellowships. These experiences not only strengthen Stanford’s contributions to the world by fostering reciprocal partnerships with communities near and far, but also leave a lasting impression on the students themselves.
Cardinal Quarter opened countless doors for me during undergrad, and it helped me see what was possible in public service as a long-term career, both in the United States and abroad. Each opportunity allowed me to explore different interests—from national homelessness policy and labor law in Washington, D.C. to international human rights work in Geneva. I met some of my closest faculty mentors through Cardinal Quarter, and they’ve continued to support me in navigating my public service journey long after the internships ended.
Alisha Zhao, ’22
“My Cardinal Quarter experiences were an incredibly valuable launching pad for my public service career. So many organizations who both need intern support and want to train the next generation of public servants don’t have the financial resources to support interns. Cardinal Quarter bridged that gap for me. I gained valuable skills in areas like data analysis as a TomKat Fellow, research as a Climate Institute intern, and community engagement as a City of Oakland intern. Cardinal Quarter made a public service internship accessible for me, and helped set my professional trajectory.”
Chiamaka Ogwuegbu, ’18
Alisha is currently a JD candidate and Toot-Tilden-Kern Scholar at New York University School of Law
Chiamaka is currently policy director for Oakland City Councilmember Rowena Brown
Growth in demand for post-graduation fellowships
Interest in Cardinal Careers Fellowships reached record levels this year. Applications increased by 25% for Gardner Fellowships, 95% for Ford Fellowships, and 115% for One-Year Schneider Fellowships compared to last year. Through Community Impact Fellowships, 27 fellowship placements were offered in collaboration with 12 partner organizations.
in Cardinal Courses, 2021–2024
Fellowship Applications and Awards, 2015–2024
Enrollment in Pathways to Purposeful Careers Course, 2021–2024
Student interest in the competitive and prestigious year-long fellowships remains high. Enrollment in the course Pathways to Purposeful Careers increased
Student enrollment in Cardinal Courses increased from 908
Supporting young learners
Through Ravenswood Reads, Stanford students support elementary school children in developing strong reading skills and a love of books. The program pairs students with young learners in East Palo Alto classrooms, creating relationships that build confidence and foster joy in learning. For Stanford participants, it’s an opportunity to engage directly with issues of educational equity while making a lasting difference in a child’s life.
By having the opportunity to engage in education equity work the past two years, I have had the privilege of being able to develop relationships with children and youth in the local area, as well as gain an additional perspective of the varying challenges posed to educators, students, and families residing in the Bay Area. My experience in Ravenswood Reads, Preschool Counts, and the High School Support Initiative have challenged me to think about the way we ethically engage in communities we did not grow up in. By choosing to be in partnership, we are actively learning and supporting the development of one another.
Isabel Martinez, ’27
Expenses
Isabel Martinez (second from left) with her fellow Ravenswood Reads tutors
Explore
For students new to service, short on time, or unsure where to begin, the Haas Center provides easy entry points to explore public service. These include one-time volunteer opportunities, service fairs where students can connect with campus and community organizations, and exploratory courses focused on service or community engagement through Cardinal Service partners. Staff and peer advisors provide personalized guidance, and the weekly Cardinal Service newsletter keeps students up to date on upcoming events and opportunities.
Spring into Service
Spring into Service is an annual hands-on service event held in the second or third week of April to coincide with National Volunteer Service Week. This year the Peer Advisors took the lead, offering four hands-on activities for participants. Over 150 participating students created pet beds for animal shelters, made blankets for the unhoused, wrote thank you letters to election workers, and assembled care packages for campus janitors.
Watch the video.
Citizenship in Action
In winter quarter, the Haas Center launched ETHICSOC 10: Citizenship in Action as an experiential companion course for COLLEGE 102: Citizenship in the 21st Century. The 1-2 unit companion course was designed to extend conversations beyond the classroom and to bring students from different sections together for shared experiences.
The winter pilot class enrolled 14 first-year students and included immersive field experiences focusing on civil dialogue, immigration, collective action, and inequality. Students built skills for navigating challenging conversations and spoke with Bay Area residents about cancel culture in partnership with Braver Angels. They assisted adult Spanish speakers preparing for the U.S. citizenship exam at Centro Latino in San Francisco, and met with city council members and attended council meetings in Redwood City and Menlo Park to learn about collective action. They also served lunch at LifeMoves Opportunity Services Center in Palo Alto to better understand economic inequality. Each field experience was preceded by an orientation and followed by a reflection.
Students explore community health in Oaxaca
Just five days after finals, fourteen Stanford undergraduates traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, for a three-week field course through the Bing Overseas Studies Program, following their spring pre-field seminar, MED 159: Community Health in Oaxaca. This Cardinal Course combined classroom learning, cultural immersion, language training, clinical shadowing, and community service. Students observed clinicians in multiple settings, including a public hospital, community clinics, private surgical practices, and a pediatric rehabilitation center, and engaged with local organizations to explore migration, differences in medical and public health models of care, and cultural and socioeconomic influences on health. Guest lectures highlighted traditional medicine, midwifery, and preventive care in resource-limited environments. Students reported that the experience strengthened their commitment to careers in medicine, psychology, public health, and environmental sustainability.
Students engaged in dialogue with community members in an event on civil discourse
Students and faculty pose for a photo on the stage of Guelaguetza festival in Oaxaca
Engage
Students can engage in public service through more than 600 summer or quarter-long fellowships, take one of over 150 Cardinal Courses that integrate academic learning with hands-on service or research, or make an ongoing commitment to volunteer with campus or community service organizations. These experiences connect them with nonprofits, government agencies, and local communities.
Cardinal Quarter opportunities in policy
Stanford in Government’s fellowships and stipends programs remain in high demand for undergraduates pursuing policy internships, with 372 students applying for 58 summer fellowship positions this year at partner organizations such as the World Bank, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, and the City of Oakland’s Department of Housing and Community Development. In addition, 25 students were awarded stipends to support their self-designed policy internships with organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and World Wildlife Fund.
Soraya Johnson, ’28, worked with the U.S. Commercial Service in Singapore in the summer of 2025 through a Stanford in Government Fellowship
Democracy Day
Launched in 2021, this Election Day academic holiday invites students to engage in democracy through action and dialogue. Last November, the campus hosted 30 events, including panels with student Olympians, conversations across differences, guest speakers, and an alumnistudent public service career mixer. “It’s not just a day off, but a day on,” said student organizer YuQing Jiang, ’25.
Student athletes from four different countries discuss the experience of citizenship
Building equitable climate solutions
As part of our Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area (PCJ in the Bay) place-based initiative focused on environmental sustainability, the Haas Center partnered with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability to support 15 students completing full-time, 10-week-long summer internships with nine community partner organizations across the Bay Area on environmental justice projects.
PCJ in the Bay is a collaborative initiative advancing equitable climate solutions by connecting Stanford faculty, students, and staff with local nonprofits, government agencies, and community leaders. In 2024-25, PCJ supported nine courses, 15 summer fellows, two capstone students, six student club volunteers, and five Community Service Work-Study students, while three community partners— Nuestra Casa, Rise South City, and Valley Verde—gained full-time AmeriCorps VISTA fellows. Students engaged in hands-on projects, including electric vehicle outreach, research on barriers to home electrification, and community flooding studies in San Bruno led by PhD student Hannah Melville-Rea. A rigorous evaluation found that students gained a deeper understanding of climate justice, stronger commitment to service, and increased self-efficacy, while community partners reported reciprocal benefits such as research support and organizational capacity building. The findings informed strategic planning for PCJ in the Bay’s next phase, which will explore climate and health initiatives and county-wide and multi-organization climate justice collaborations. Read the impact report
Continued growth in Cardinal Quarter
This year, nearly 650 students engaged in immersive public service work through Cardinal Quarter, working full time for at least nine weeks with organizations in 55 countries. The program attracted strong applicant pools, and all fellowship spots were filled through a competitive selection process. Fellows prepared for their summer work through an online orientation, participation in a workshop on the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service, creation of their personal learning plans, and meeting with on-campus mentors.
Cardinal Quarter opportunities in public interest technology
Student demand for Cardinal Quarter opportunities in this area continues to grow. Thanks to generous support, the CS+Social Good Fellowships Program has expanded from eight fellows in 2021 to 33 this summer. Fellows partnered with organizations such as Recidiviz, a criminal justice data platform; 9Dots, a nonprofit advancing computer science education for K-6 students; and Terradot, which is developing large-scale carbon removal projects.
Cardinal Course blends urban planning with public service
Students in URBANST 164: Sustainable Cities, taught by urban planner Rick Kos, spend spring quarter researching questions identified by Bay Area community partners and presenting actionable recommendations. The course builds students’ understanding of urban sustainability while giving partners research they can immediately use—a “win-win,” says Kos, who models the experience on professional consulting engagements to prepare students for careers that integrate public service. This year’s projects supported the Mountain View Community Land Trust, Sustainable San Mateo County, Acterra, and the City of Palo Alto Office of Sustainability, with work ranging from Spanish-language resources for first-time housing buyers to heat mapping vulnerable neighborhoods.
PhD student Hannah Melville-Rea presents at the community flooding meeting in San Bruno
Sasankh Munukutla, ’23, MS ’23 (center) with 2025 CS+Social Good Summer Fellows Eduardo Moreno, ’26 (left) and Caley Woo, ’26 (right). Sasankh was president of Stanford student service organization CS+Social Good and is a co-founder of Terradot
at the Paris Olympics
Engaging students and families in
early literacy
Ravenswood Reads, a partnership between the Haas Center’s Education Partnerships program and San Mateo County Libraries in East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks, engaged 41 Stanford tutors and 28 children in grades K-3 during the 2024-25 academic year. Tutors, supported through the course Education 103A: Tutoring: Seeing a Child Through Literacy, helped children build skills in decoding, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary, with many children receiving two 30-minute sessions per week over 24 weeks. The program strengthened family and community engagement through events like the first Family Literacy Workshop, attended by 43 family members, and ongoing communication via the Remind app. Tutors gained hands-on teaching experience, while families and library partners benefitted from expanded literacy support and program capacity. Ravenswood Reads also celebrated student leaders, including Jocelyn Tran, an inaugural Bill Somerville Grassroots Community Award winner, and continues to explore opportunities to expand tutoring capacity, enhance communication tools, and deepen family engagement in the coming year.
A decade of partnership and early math success
The Preschool Counts program celebrated its tenth year of partnership between the Haas Center for Public Service and St. Elizabeth Seton School, pairing 34 Stanford students with preschool and kindergarten children for hundreds of individualized math tutoring sessions in 2024–25. Through the Cardinal Course EDUC 171: Preschool Counts: Engaging Young Children in Math, students gained hands-on experience in early math instruction, community partnership, and lesson design while fostering children’s confidence and numeracy skills. Highlights included a well-attended Family Math Night and consistently strong math outcomes for the preschool students. Survey feedback showed that Stanford tutors deepened their understanding of math pedagogy and community engagement, while Seton staff credited the program with helping sustain high early math achievement.
Students in the Preschool Counts program ready to travel to their tutoring sessions
Stanford students and youth learning together
East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA), a tutoring and mentorship program for middle school youth, partnered with KIPP Valiant Community Preparatory to support 13 sixth graders through afterschool sessions. It also brought together 20 youth and 25 Stanford students for eight Saturday sessions, where tutor-mentors offered personalized academic support and led activities aligned with social-emotional learning goals, from storytelling and goal setting to understanding leadership and community relationships. Families engaged in two program sessions focused on setting educational goals and exploring pathways to college, while Stanford students deepened their understanding of youth development and local context. At a closing ceremony, students shared their growth, families expressed pride, and youth left with greater confidence and stronger academic skills.
Stanford Outdoor Outreach Project
The Stanford Outdoor Outreach Program (SOOP), a student-led group dedicated to making outdoor experiences more accessible to local youth, hosted 18 students from Carlmont High School’s AVID program for a day of exploration and connection at Stanford. The AVID program supports students on their path to four-year colleges, and many will be the first in their families to take that step. With guidance from a dozen Stanford student leaders, the day began at the campus climbing wall, followed by lunch at Stern Dining. In the afternoon, another student-led service organization, Students for a Sustainable Stanford, hosted a discussion on the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence. The visit offered students a glimpse into college life, hands-on learning, and new possibilities for the future.
Middle-school youth gathered at the Haas Center for a Saturday leadership development session
Stanford students help students from the AVID Program at Carlmont High School learn how to rock climb at the Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center
Beyond service: Lessons learned
Students who dedicate themselves to serving a campus or community organization can have their contributions recognized as a Cardinal Commitment. These students share how sustained service shaped their perspectives and personal growth.
While I began with the goal of uplifting children through sports, I came to understand that the most impactful moments often came from simply being present—playing a card game, listening to a story, or finding creative ways to include a child with limited mobility.
Danna Lenis-Granada, ’25, MS ’26
Volunteering at the clinic challenged my assumptions about healthcare being primarily about diagnosis and treatment. Instead, I saw how healing also comes from relationships, consistent encouragement, and understanding each patient’s story beyond their medical chart.
Sophie Duncan, ’26
Working with these students is a constant reminder of the importance of a growth mindset. …Mentoring my FAST students allows me to reflect on my own learning and research progress and reminds me of my own fundamental curiosity in science.
Julia Dressel, PhD candidate
New winter program engages sophomores in service
A new program for sophomores was launched in winter quarter: Public Service Immersion (PSI). PSI is designed for students who did not engage with service in their freshman year. The program includes five class sessions and three day-long service treks at community partner organizations across the Bay. In class, the 15 participants were introduced to the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service and the Pathways of Public Service. On the treks, they learned about issues and needs in the community. Projects included installing a rain garden with Climate Resilient Communities in East Palo Alto, observing instructors and mentees at MindsMatter in Santa Clara, and meeting with community members and organizations in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco.
PSI participants installing a rain garden for an East Palo Alto resident
How it all began
In a three-part podcast, students, alumni, and leaders reflect on the past, present, and future of Stanford’s public service center—and why service matters beyond campus. Episode one features former Haas Center Executive Directors
Catherine Milton and Timothy Stanton, and Megan Swezey Fogarty, who was a Stanford student when the center was first taking shape and later its Deputy Executive Director.
Listen to all three episodes on Apple Podcasts.
Catherine Milton
Timothy Stanton Megan Swezey Fogarty
Lead
Students can encourage others to engage in public service as Peer Advisors or Issue Area Coordinators, build skills through leadership training in community organizing, and lead student service organizations to help advance service on campus and beyond.
StanfordVotes wins statewide award
StanfordVotes, a non-partisan, student-led effort to boost civic engagement, was honored in the 2024 California University and College Ballot Bowl for registering the highest number of student voters. Aubrey Merrill, ’26, and Dylan Vergara, ’26, accepted the award from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber during a virtual ceremony on March 3.
Exploring careers in public service
URBANST 190A: Pathways to Purposeful Careers introduced students to diverse roles in public service and social impact, from government and education to nonprofits, social enterprises, and arts/media. This year, 111 students enrolled in the one-unit speaker series and 52 in the two-unit, hands-on career development section. The course featured distinguished speakers including Darrick Smith; Kiah Williams, ’07; Jimmy Chen, ’10; Abdi Soltani, ’95; Julian Castro, ’96; Laney Whitcanack; Jose Padilla, ’74; Maya Berry; Jawno Okhiulu, ’21; Amanda Zerbe, ’15, MS ’15, JD ’21; and Sneha Ayyagari, ’17, MS ’17. Moderated by Haas Center Faculty Director Juliet Brodie alongside Kathleen Kelly Janus, Michael Kahan, and alum Luis Ornelas, ’18, the conversations gave students both inspiration and practical tools to translate their interests and talents into meaningful public service careers.
Haas Center Faculty Director Juliet Brodie moderated the first conversation with speaker Dr. Darrick Smith (Associate Professor, School of Education, USF) with an audience of more than 100 students
Graduate students in community
engagement
Creating new community-engaged courses
During the 2024-25 academic year, the Haas Center piloted a new Graduate Community-Engaged Teaching Fellowship, providing a cohort of Stanford graduate students from across disciplines with structured support, training, and mentorship to develop, design, and teach a community-engaged course in their area of expertise or interest during Stanford Summer Session. Mechanical engineering PhD candidate Judith Brown developed CEE 111I: Improving Tiny Homes for the Unhoused, a course challenging students to reduce the cost of tiny homes through systematic design iteration. Students learned core design principles and explored simulations, real-life stories, and hypothetical scenarios to build empathy and understanding of the unhoused experience.
Partnering with communities through fellowships
The Research, Action, and Impact through Strategic Engagement (RAISE) Doctoral Fellowship, offered by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, supports PhD students committed to community engagement and social impact. It provides funding for experiential learning, professional development, and mentorship, along with a stipend and project funds to support community-focused work.
Doctoral student Leslie Luqueño, MS ’22, spent the past three years partnering with the Foundation for a College Education (FCE) as part of her RAISE fellowship and dissertation work. Facilitated by the Haas Center, Leslie began by building relationships with FCE and the East Palo Alto Academy, and has developed a range of family engagement initiatives she cites as central to her graduate experience. The Haas Center has supported her work with small grants, reflecting a growing commitment to fostering meaningful graduate studentcommunity partnerships.
Sansón and Me film screening
In January, the Haas Center supported a successful screening of the film Sansón and Me at the event Reimagining Justice: Voices from Prison, which featured a conversation with the filmmaker, Rodrigo Reyes. A remarkable group of graduate students— Jan Estrada Pabon, PhD candidate, ’27, Chemistry; Nissim Roffe Piket, JD ’26, Law; Jennifer Co, PhD candidate, ’27, Chemistry; Guglielmo Panelli, PhD candidate, ’26, Physics; and Clara Bacmeister, PhD candidate, ’27, Neurosciences—played key roles in organizing the event. Many of these students are enrolled in SpanLang 108SL/ HUMRTS 108, Migration, Asylum & Human Rights at the Border, and are active members of the Stanford Jail & Prison Education Program (SJPEP). They are also collaborating with our class partner, Freedom for Immigrants, to develop new initiatives that support justice and education. The screening received additional support from artsCatalyst.
Issue Area Coordinators
Issue Area Coordinators and Peer Advisors collaborated closely this year to host service and educational events. They supported student group Kids with Dreams in creating materials for children at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Over 45 students attended “The AI Dilemma: Can Efficiency & Ethics Coexist in Democracy?”, featuring Dr. Berivan Isik (Google) and Dr. Alice Siu (Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab). A panel on Environmental Justice: Policy, Advocacy, and the Road Ahead included professor Rodolfo Dirzo, Ever Rodriguez from North Fair Oaks Community Alliance, and graduate student Delaina Castillo.
(left to right): Jan Estrada Pabon, Nissim Roffe Piket, Jennifer Co, instructor Vivian Brates, Guglielmo Panelli, filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes, and Clara Bacmeister
Launch
With support from Cardinal Careers advisors, students explore public service pathways and integrate service into any career, gaining access to career coaching, recruiting and networking events, scholarships, and a network of public service alumni.
Cardinal Careers Fellows
Twenty-six graduating students will begin full-time positions at nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies dedicated to serving the public good as part of the Haas Center’s 2025 Cardinal Careers Fellowship cohort. Each fellow is supported by a workplace mentor, a Haas Center advisor, and the strong community of their cohort. This spring, fellows gathered for a half-day orientation to build community and prepare them to navigate the workplace as new professionals. Ten alumni returned to share insights, lead workshops, and offer guidance over lunch, connecting past and present fellows in a spirit of near-peer mentorship.
Community Impact Fellowship
Fellows work for a partnering public interest organization and are matched with a mentor.
PLACEMENTS
City of San José, Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services (San José, CA)
Tayonna Ewin, Business Intelligence Advisor
DonorsChoose (Remote)
Robert Castaneros, Fellow
El Concilio of San Mateo County (North Fair Oaks, CA)
Valeria Vega Yañez, Program Associate
Foundation for a College Education (East Palo Alto, CA)
Luis Quiroga, FCE Program Fellow*
*Continuing fellow from 2023-24 cohort
Forty years of Gardner Fellows
In March, the John Gardner Fellowship Association celebrated its 40th anniversary with a retreat at Stanford. This public service fellowship is a partnership between Stanford’s Haas Center for Public Service and University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and honors the life and legacy of John W. Gardner. Each year, three graduating Stanford seniors or coterms and three graduating U.C. Berkeley seniors are selected to design a 10-month, full-time fellowship with the domestic nonprofit organization or government agency of their choice, guided by a senior-level mentor. The retreat hosted nearly 80 fellows from 1985 to the present, many traveling from across the country to reconnect with each other and meet the next generation of public service and social impact leaders. The event was a testament to the enduring legacy of John Gardner who believed in cultivating young talent in the public sector.
Ikaso Consulting
Allan Lopez, Analyst
Jennifer Soh, Analyst
Mission Investors Exchange (Remote)
Sommer Alex, Measurement & Performance Fellow*
Lizzie Avila, Knowledge & Programs Fellow*
Emily Elliott, Communications Fellow*
Partnership for Public Service (Washington, DC)
Juna Nagle, Program Associate
Ravenswood Family Health Network (East Palo Alto, CA)
Lamara Allen, Women’s Health Support Fellow
Daniel Arango Sumano, Pediatrics Support Fellow
Temi Babalola, Development Support Fellow
Emily Hui, Nursing Support Fellow
Shriti Parajuli, Corporate Events Fellow
Funmi Solano, Medical Executive Support Fellow
Athena Xue, Family Medicine Support Fellow
Redwood City Together & John Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (Redwood City & Stanford, CA)
Mia Bennett, Shinnyo Fellow
SIRUM (Palo Alto, CA)
Crystal Chen, Recipient Fellow
Caroline Clement, Recipient Fellow
Kelly Harvell, Medicine Donor Team Fellow
John Gardner Public Service Fellowship
Fellows from Stanford and UC Berkeley work in a government or nonprofit organization of their choice, matched with a mentor to guide their professional growth and development.
Tanner Christensen, ’24 (Psychology), MA ’24 (Communication –Media Studies): Ford Foundation, New York, NY
Nicole Domingo, ’24 (Sociology, Political Science): UN Refugee Agency, Washington, D.C.
Arabella Walley, ’24 (International Relations, Human Rights): Office of Asylum Seekers Operations, New York, NY
One-Year Schneider Fellowship
Fellows work for one year in one of the four locations of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
David Lee, ’24 (Environmental Systems Engineering, Computer Science): Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.
Ella Norman, ’24 (Human Biology): Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, CA
Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy
Fellows work in a mentored position at a host foundation and learn about the role of philanthropy in society.
Estefanía Acuña Lacarieri, ’23 (Political Science, Communication), MA ’24 (Latin American Studies): UN Foundation (Girls and Women), New York, NY
Hannah Basali, ’24 (Political Science, History, Iberian & Latin American Studies): Ford Foundation (Civic Engagement and Government), New York, NY
Emily Geigh Nichols, ’24 (African and African American Studies, Theatre and Performance Studies): T. Howard Foundation, Washington, D.C.
International Bridge Fund
This one-time award supported a graduating senior in gaining valuable international experience through an unpaid summer internship, providing a bridge between academic life and the next step in their professional journey.
Ashwin Prabu, ’25, worked at the European Center for Not-ForProfit Law in the Netherlands this summer.
(Left to right) Arabella Walley, Nicole Domingo, Tanner Christensen
In January 2025, the Haas Center welcomed four local entrepreneurs in public interest technology as part of the Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor Program. This program brings exemplary public service leaders to campus to share their expertise through teaching, academic collaboration, and community engagement.
Alex Bernadotte is founder and CEO of Beyond 12, which combines personalized coaching and mobile technology to help underserved students graduate from college and launch meaningful careers. Her leadership in education and social justice has earned widespread recognition.
Jaime-Alexis Fowler is founder and executive director of Empower Work, a nonprofit that has supported over 400,000 workers in navigating workplace challenges. Her work blends technology and human connection to advance worker wellbeing and systemic change.
Josh Nesbit is technologist in residence at Emerson Collective. He co-founded Medic, an organization behind open-source software now used by over 160,000 frontline health workers globally. He is preparing to launch a new project focused on prosocial AI.
Amanda Renteria is CEO of Code for America, which partners with governments and communities to build equitable, accessible, techdriven public services. A public service veteran, she was the first Latina chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and held senior roles in the U.S. Department of Justice and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
Throughout the winter quarter, the cohort engaged with Stanford faculty, staff, and students, and participated in a well-attended panel on using technology for social change. In spring, they co-taught the Cardinal Course Challenging the Status Quo: Social Entrepreneurship in Public Interest Technology, in collaboration with instructor Kathleen Janus. The course uses real-world practice to inform theory, and students completed projects supporting each visitor’s ongoing work to drive social impact through technology.
2025 Distinguished Visitors (eft to right): Alex Bernadotte, Jaime-Alexis Fowler, Josh Nesbit, and Amanda Renteria with student moderator Chloe Trujillo, ’25
Engaging alumni
The Haas Center offers a variety of ways for alumni to stay connected and contribute their time, expertise, and resources to support students engaged in public service. From mentoring and sharing career advice to hosting students for internships, alumni play a vital role in fostering the next generation of civic leaders while deepening their own engagement with Stanford’s public service mission.
Connections with students serving over the summer
This summer, nearly 300 students engaged in Cardinal Quarter internships were matched with alumni around the world for conversations that built connections, sparked career insights, and offered opportunities to share Stanford experiences. Most of these meetings took place in person, linking students and alumni across global communities.
Cardinal in the City gatherings brought together alumni with students engaged in Cardinal Quarter fellowships for evenings of food, conversation, and community. Events were held in New York, San Jose, and Washington, D.C.
Alumni gather for breakfast at the Haas Center during Reunion Homecoming Weekend
Honoring alumni advancing the greater good
The President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good celebrates Stanford alumni whose service improves lives, strengthens democracy, and promotes civic engagement across sectors. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients, recognized at June Commencement.
Gayatri
Datar, MBA ’14
Gayatri Datar is co-founder and CEO of EarthEnable, a social enterprise that provides affordable, sustainable flooring in East Africa. Inspired by a d.school course and a visit to Rwanda, she launched the venture to replace dirt floors—which can cause serious health issues—with safer earthen alternatives. EarthEnable has reached over 250,000 people and created more than 1,000 jobs.
Pamela Ronald, MS ’84
Pamela Ronald is a plant geneticist whose research has advanced global food security. Her work on rice genetics led to disease-resistant and flood-tolerant varieties now used by more than six million farmers v communication and public understanding of genetic engineering.
Image courtesy Gayatri Datar
Image by Debbie Aldridge
Haas Awards
We are grateful to the many students, faculty, staff, and friends of the Haas Center who exemplify the spirit of our mission, combining a commitment to academic excellence and to ethical and effective public service. Congratulations to the 2024-25 awardees! Read their bios on the Haas Center website.
Bill
Somerville Grassroots Community Award
A new award in 2024-25 that honors Bill Somerville, a former National Advisory Board member and long-time supporter of the Haas Center
Danny Sallis, ’25
Jocelyn Tran, ’25
Friends of Haas Award
Luciana Herman, Program Director, Stanford Law and Policy Lab
Crystal Surita, Preschool Director, St. Elizabeth Seton School
Kennedy-Diamond Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Learning and Research
Paige Hill, PhD candidate
Caroline Murtagh, MD ’25
Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service
Makayla Abril Butters, ’25
Chelsey Arellano, ’25
Karen Arellano-Cruz, ’25
Enrique Flores, ’25, MA ’25
Taylor Hall, ’25
Walk the Talk Service Leadership Award
Chris Badillo, ’25
Langston Buddenhagen, ’25, MA ’25 (Jon McConnell Walk the Talk Service Leadership Award recipient)
Samantha Guerrero, ’25
Dora Elia Plascencia-Macias, ’25
Chloe Trujillo, ’25, MS ’25
Karsen Lee Wahal, ’25, MS ’25
Bill Somerville Grassroots Community Awardees Jocelyn Tran, ’25 (left) and Danny Sallis, ’25
National Advisory Board
Leela Stake,’03, MA ’03, Chair
Javier Aguirre, ’96, Vice Chair
Edward Apraku, PhD candidate
Adam Bad Wound, MA ’05, MA ’06
Christopher Badillo, ’25
Valerie Brown, MPH ’98
Langston Buddenhagen, ’25, MA ’25
Stuart C. Burden, ’84
Makayla Abril Butters, ’25
Dianne Calvi, ’84
Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, ’97
Angela Filo, ’93
Enrique Flores, ’25, MA ’25
Katherine Flores
Jose Gordon, ’99
Mimi Haas
Jacob Harriman, MBA ’08
Kelly Harvell, ’24
Lexi Kupor, ’25
Jocelyn Lee, ’93, MA ’94
Polly Liu, ’95, MBA ’00
Laura Aryeh Murawczyk, ’92
Reiko Osaki, ’00
Parag Patel, ’89
Catherine Payer, ’86
Ashwin Prabu, ’25
Luis Quiroga, ’22
Candace Ryu
Jennifer Satre, ’71
Nicole Sheehan, ’89
Dorothy Shubin, ’81
Julia Spiegel, ’06
Molly Tapias, ’94
Alison Upton Lopez, ’02, MA ’09
Dylan Vergara, ’26
Karsen Wahal, ’26
Jeannette Wang, ’26
Renee Duarte White, ’25
Kiah Williams, ’07
Sherri Wolson
Sherry Xie, ’25
Anita Yu Westly
Directors’ Circle and Sustaining Families
Thank you to our Directors’ Circle members, whose sustained annual contributions enable us to offer service programs to more students each year.
