Marlene Scherer Stern
Career Networking Programs Manager
Career Development Center, Stanford University

Marlene Scherer Stern has an M.A. in Higher Education and a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Exercise Physiology. Marlene has many years of student services experience in higher education with the last 15 years in career counseling. Her focus is toward programs and resources connecting students with alumni for career exploration, networking and mentoring experiences.

Alandha Scott
2011
Science, Technology and Society Minor: Comparative literature

Alandha Scott is a sophomore from Long Island, NY. In addition to her major and minor she is pursuing a certificate in Product Realization. She is very interested in organizational behavior and business strategy in a variety of industries. Her previous work experience includes Turner Broadcasting, where she worked in World Wide Recruiting, assisting the recruiting team supporting the ad sales, marketing and producer positions for CNN and Court TV and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she work in the Marketing and Sales department as a Client Driver Intern, supporting account management activities for priority clients in Entertainment, Media and Communications (EMC) sector.

At Stanford, Alandha is one of the co-presidents of Stanford Black Pre-Business Society and is a team-lead at the start up Foundations 4 Education. In her spare time she loves to read novels, write short stories and hang out with friends.

Mike Wheet
2011
History, minor in Film Studies

Mike is a native of Washington DC who joined SAM at the end of his freshman year. After building strong relationships with advisors and faculty at Stanford, he was motivated to help others find similar opportunities for mentorship.

Outside of SAM, Mike is an active member of the Stanford Film Society and hopes to become a filmmaker after graduation.

Trevor Shaddox
2010
B.S. Mathematical and Computational Science, M.S. Biomedical Informatics

Trevor is a senior from Dana Point, California. He joined Stanford Alumni Mentoring after having an incredible mentoring experience with one of the founders of SAM, Eric Wong. Excellent mentoring through high school helped to motivate and inspire Trevor to come to Stanford, and he is grateful for the opportunity to help foster mentoring at Stanford.

In his spare time, Trevor enjoys sailing, swimming, fencing, tennis, and playing frisbee with his dog.

Mentoring tip: Have Fun! You and your mentor are both excited to learn from each other, so just relax and enjoy the experience!

Annie Lindseth
2010
Earth Systems

Annie Lindseth is a junior from Princeton, New Jersey. She has worked at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve researching the spread of an invasive plant species, and she currently works for the Woods Institute for the Environment studying at the impacts of green buildings on human health and productivity. Stanford has given her the chance to dabble in rowing and ultimate frisbee, study abroad in Santiago, Chile, and serve as a Jasper Ridge Docent.

What SAM means to me: SAM gives students an opportunity to seek out genuine guidance from experienced alumni with the hope that it will shape our lives and careers for the better. The amazing people involved in SAM as mentors, mentees, and members of the Leadership Team really make the program incredible.

Mentoring Tip: Be persistent! Establishing a mentoring relationship with an alum you just met takes some effort and courage, but it is well worth the time you put into it.

Laura K. Chang
2009
BS Product Design

Laura Chang is from Potomac, Maryland. After graduating, Laura will work at T-Mobile Creation Center in Berlin, and continue to explore the power of design and creativity to make the world a better place. She is especially interested in design for sustainability and social change.

Mentoring Tip: Mentors have a lot more in common with you than you might think! Don't be afraid to ask questions beyond the work-related.

Donald Hoang
2009
BA International Relations

Donald Hoang '09 is the current Alumni Mentoring Program Coordinator. In his other capacity, he is a Research Assistant with the Cardiac Electrophysiology Group at Stanford Hospital. As a Stanford undergrad, Donald studied abroad in Beijing and was deeply involved with Alternative Spring Break through the Haas Center for Public Service. His previous professional experiences span a broad spectrum of fields ranging from public policy to retail banking and community health. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, tennis, reading the New York Times, and cooking delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

Mentoring tip: Make the effort to reach out in person to establish a meaningful relationship. Although email and phone calls are great tools to initiate contact, nothing can substitute for in-person interactions.

Xuan Wu
2008
M.S. Electrical Engineering

Just another EE, in pursuit of his Ph. D.

Xuan is the designer and programmer of this website. You can find out more about him at http://www.xuan-wu.com as well as browse some of his other works.

Rishi Natarajan
2008
M.S. Management Science & Engineering, B.S. Electrical Engineering

Rishi Natarajan '08 (M.S. Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Economics and Finance, B.S. Electrical Engineering) is an Associate at Elevation Partners, a media and entertainment-focused private equity firm based in Menlo Park, California.

What SAM means to me: The opportunity to positively impact others and enhance the connection between the Stanford student and alumni communities is what SAM means to me.

Mentoring Tip: A SAM mentoring relationship can be good, great, or game-changing. Students who take the time to regularly initiate contact with their mentors, proactively seek to get to know their mentors through as many ways as possible, and think about what they want to get out of a mentoring relationship generally have a fantastic SAM experience.

Lisa Huang
2008
M.S. Management Science & Engineering, B.A. Economics

Lisa Huang '08 is a business analyst for McKinsey & Co.

What SAM means to me: I think of SAM as one of the few truly selfless organizations on campus. Our sole purpose is to bring the wonderful experience of mentoring to as many Stanford students and alumni as possible in order to create a richer experience for them during college and in life. Being a part of the SAM team gave me the chance to work with an amazing, tight-knit group of passionate people who both inspired me and gave me direction for my own life goals.

Mentoring Tip: Mentees, keep up the relationship with your mentor even after the official mentoring session ends. Keep them posted on what's going on in your life. Your mentors will be so happy to see how you are developing. Mentoring is a lifelong process!

Xiao Wang
2007
M.A. Management Science & Engineering, B.A. Economics

Xiao Wang '07 is a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company in New York. He has served a variety of clients across telecom, banking, insurance, and education.

What SAM means to me: Being able to increase the chances that other students can have phenomenal mentoring relationships that previously was due mostly to chance (e.g., dorm RF, freshmen advisor) and hopefully giving back a little to a place that has given me so much.

Mentoring tip: Try to meet in person at least once. You will be amazed at how much closer you will be afterwards.

Ben Fohner
2006
B.A. Human Biology

Ben Fohner '06 is a Fulbright Scholar in Australia researching the commercialization of life science and energy technology while taking classes toward a Masters Degree in business. He is interested in early stage technology ventures, a passion stemming from his involvement in the small team, creativity-oriented environment of SAM.

What SAM means to me: SAM is all about working with awesome, dedicated teammates to promote mentoring at Stanford.

Mentoring tip: Be proactive and confident when seeking prospective mentors, structuring contact as informal, interactive conversations that are fun for both the mentor and student.

Jennifer Chiu
2005
B.A. International Relations

Jennifer Chiu '05 is the Director of Program Resources Design at Teach For All, a new organization that supports entrepreneurs in other countries who are pursuing the development of the Teach For America and Teach First models locally. Prior to working at Teach For All, Jennifer was a consultant at the Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit that helps nonprofit and philanthropic leaders develop their strategies.

What SAM means to me: SAM is a tremendous opportunity for undergraduates. Only when you leave Stanford do you realize how valuable the support the University provides is. SAM relationships are one support that you can continue long after you graduate.

Mentoring Tip: Expand what you think "mentoring" is. Tailor it to your mentor/mentee needs and wants.

Mel Burns
2005
Economic and Psychology

Melissa is Director of Strategy & Marketing at the San Fracisco-based consumer electronics company Joby, Inc. She graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor's in Economics and Psychology.

Favorite SAM moment: I have many favorite moments. The Retreats. The Endless hours of website revisions. Heated debates in the CDC conference room. Sending and receiving dozens and dozens of SAM emails in a single night!

Mentoring Tip: Always set expectations up front. Think long and hard about what you hope to gain from the relationship and communicate this to your mentor or mentee early in your conversations.

Carol Liu
2005
B.A. English

Carol Liu '05 is an independent filmmaker who recently relocated from New York City to Beijing to direct a documentary for the China Foundation for Disabled Persons. Snippets of the film aired on China Central Television and on Channel 4 during the Beijing Paralympics 2008. After graduating Stanford in 2005, Carol attended NYU Graduate Film School to concentrate on film directing and screenwriting. She is currently developing film projects in China, both fictional features and documentaries, while continuing advanced studies at Tsinghua University's IUP Chinese language program.

What SAM means to me: During moments of anxious confusion in one's undergraduate career, having an alum reach out to you through a network such as SAM can sometimes connect dots in your head in inexplicable ways, lighting paths to possibilities previously unknown to the mentee. This is especially important in cases where students are seeking nontraditional career paths.

Mentoring Tip: Remember that mentors are busy people. Always be polite and remember to write back after their response. Not only is it a courteous thing to do, you may discover something in your relationship with this alum that you previously did not expect.

Lief Haniford
2004
MA Economic Sociology, B.A. Political Science

Lief Haniford '04 is pursuing a JD/MBA at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Harvard Business School.

What SAM means to me: SAM is incredibly important means by which to connect undergraduates with more experienced alumni who can serve as informal mentors and, ideally, long term champions of these mentees. It is a means by which alumni can continue to engage with the university in a meaningful yet manageable way. Finally, SAM is a means by which we can strengthen the Stanford community generally and help create a close community of graduates dispersed across the globe.

Mentoring tip: Seek mentors, not based on what they might do for you, but based on how they might impact you.

Kristin Altofer
2003
B.A. Economics

Kristin Altofer '03 is currently in her second year at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Prior to her return to the Farm, she worked in New York City as a Research Associate at Chilton Investment Company.

Emily Pan
2002
Communication and a minor in Asian Studies

Emily Pan is an attorney in the San Fracisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (MTO). Since joining the firm in 2006, she has worked on breach of contract, legal malpractice, securities, and pro bono matters. Emily graduated from Stanford Phi Beta Kappa and with Distinction in 2002, with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a minor in Asian studies. At UC Berkeley School of Law, she earned a Prosser Prize in Legislation, served as Articles Editor of the Berkeley Journal of International Law, and was Publishing Editor of the California Law Review. Before joining MTO, Emily volunteered in Accra, Ghana, with the Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment, assisting with domestic violence and AIDS education in schools and refugee camps.

"What SAM means to me" - having the opportunity to tell people what no one told me about life and work.

Mentoring Tip - be patient and persistent.

Eric Wong
2002
B.A. Economics, minors in Computer Science and Spanish

Eric Wong '02 is a portfolio manager in the US fixed income group at Barclays Global Investors (BGI). In that role, he is responsible for developing and managing interest rates strategies for the Fixed Income Global Alpha hedge fund.

What SAM means to me: An opportunity to offer the same career guidance to students that my alumni mentor offered to me.

Mentoring tip: Always follow up with your alumni mentor and keep them posted on your developments.

Jon Blum
1984

Jon Blum '84 is Managing Director at Liberty Square Asset Management, an international equity hedge fund platform. He previously spent 19 years on the sell-side as a banker and international institutional equity sales professional, and is a former member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees. Since helping to establish the program in 2002, Jon has been a SAM mentor to nine students.

Mentoring tip: One thing I try to prod my mentees to do is to arrive at their own conclusions about classes, career choices, graduate school etc. I try to be a sounding board without emphatically pushing what I think is the right thing for them. I am here as a mentor to provide insights and open up relationships that the mentee may not have.