Stanford 125: Marlene Scherer Stern

TL;DR

Stanford Alumni Mentoring Program allows students to connect with alumni worldwide and exchange knowledge, highlighting the importance of sharing education and experiences.

Transcript

I am a recent retiree of Stanford after 20 years of service and institution I've benefited from my time at Stanford I think about it in the sense of I am not formally educated from Stanford I do not have a degree from Stanford however I am informally and was educated at Stanford every day I came to work I interacted with other administrators and al... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎓 The informal education received from interactions with the Stanford community is valuable and complements formal education.
• 🤗 Admitting what one doesn't know and being open to learning fosters respect and enables knowledge exchange.
• 🌐 The Stanford Alumni Mentoring Program facilitates global connections and provides mentorship opportunities.
• 👻 Initiatives like the mentoring program allow alumni to reconnect with Stanford and contribute to its global impact.
• ❓ Sharing knowledge and initiatives from Stanford can make a positive impact worldwide.
• 🧑‍🎓 The program helps students find alumni with specific experiences, creating a supportive network.
• ❓ Stanford's responsibility is to share the knowledge and initiatives developed within the institution.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker benefit from their time at Stanford despite not having a formal education from the institution?

The speaker explains that while they didn't have a degree, they received informal education every day by interacting with administrators and alumni, who taught them about community and the world.

Q: How did the speaker approach situations where they lacked technical expertise while co-founding the Stanford alumni mentoring program?

Instead of pretending to understand, the speaker admitted their lack of knowledge and asked students to educate them. This approach earned them respect and allowed for a healthy exchange of knowledge.

Q: What is the purpose of the Stanford alumni mentoring program?

The program's main objective is to connect students with alumni worldwide, providing opportunities for mentorship and knowledge sharing across various fields and experiences.

Q: Can you provide an example of how the Stanford alumni mentoring program facilitated connections between students and alumni?

By using keyword searches, students could find alumni who had relevant experiences, such as participating in the study abroad program at Oxford. This allowed for reconnection and guidance from alumni who had similar experiences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker highlights the informal education they received from their 20 years at Stanford, interacting with administrators and alumni.

• They emphasize the value of being upfront about what they don't know and learning from others.

• The Stanford Alumni Mentoring Program provided an opportunity for students to connect with alumni globally, facilitating knowledge exchange.