Imagine A World

In this week’s episode of Imagine A World, KHS alum Briana Mullen (2020 cohort) discusses what led her to pursue master’s degrees in policy, organization, and leadership studies and in public policy at Stanford. She shares her experience of being a lifetime Californian, reflects on the joys of being a marching band kid, discusses building an organization that empowers underrepresented communities to create change in their school districts, and so much more.

Highlights from the episode:

• (6:21) Briana's experiences growing up working class in the Bay Area, and finding an enduring sense of home and community, as a band kid in high school; her first experience getting involved in school boards to try to save the school music program from budget cuts
• (17:00) Learning about the history of public education and the experiences of her peers in the public education system at Berkeley and finding a home there
• (21:05) How Briana’s Imagine A World statement shifted over time, from how school boards can build vibrant, multiracial democracies, to building villages and communities for children in and out of schools
• (24:29) Finding inspiration about leadership and vision for public education from colleagues at the California Department of Education
• (28:59) Working with communities to build up representative school boards and raise public awareness of their importance through the Education Justice Academy, a nonprofit Briana founded when she was at Stanford and now works on full time
• (43:30) How Briana deals with overwhelm by slowing down, meditating, and building lasting change at a sustainable pace through meeting people where they are at
• (48:26) Briana’s advice to Knight-Hennessy applicants by finding ways to fit what you want to say into the application rather than just answering the questions
• (51:52) Briana’s Improbable Fact about crafting a syllabus about Avatar: Legend of Korra, and how the insights of the show relate to children’s experiences encountering vast political forces and give insights into how it takes community to make a change
• (59:12) the story of the start of the Imagine A World podcast at an Asilomar Knight-Hennessy retreat
• (1:04:46) Working with teachers, students, and families to save the music program at her high school 12 years later

In her final year at Stanford Medical School, scholar Nadine Jawad joins the Imagine A World podcast to reflect on her upbringing, sharing how she tempers cynicism, embraces joy and grief simultaneously, and is working relentlessly to make healthcare accessible to all. 

Highlights from the episode:

• (6:21) Nadine’s experience growing up in Dearborn and how it contrasted with her college experience attending the University of Michigan
• (11:59) How the public policy major at Michigan shaped Nadine’s college experience, and how it related to her aspirations to become a doctor
• (18:10) How Nadine tempers and wrestles with cynicism about change, from her nonprofit initiative Books for a Benefit, to her experiences in student government, to working for Amnesty International
• (28:12) Nadine’s Imagine a World Statement about the importance of accessible healthcare (check out her video: “Collective Grief, A Cup of Chai and Blood Pressure Medication”)
• (32:12) The role that Nadine hopes writing will play in her work in the future, as a way to open hearts and minds and bring about impact the world, and how she thinks about her positionality as a Knight-Hennessy and Rhodes Scholar in putting out writing
• (39:52) How Nadine thinks about activism, and balances the reckoning with atrocity and feelings of guiltwith joy
• (44:29) The support the Knight-Hennessy community has given to Nadine throughout her medical school experience
• (46:54) Nadine’s improbable facts, advice to Knight-Hennessy applicants , and plans for the immediate future!

In this episode of “Imagine a World,” Courtney Burton, a second year scholar pursuing a joint MBA/MS in Environment and Resources, discusses growing up in Atlanta, working in health care consulting, and her passion for extending healthspans. She sheds light on barriers to accessing resources for healthy aging, from health literacy to ageism, talks about embracing her inner clown, and reveals her vision for her life at 67 years old.

Highlights from the episode:

• (5:01) Courtney's packed schedule at quarter's end, juggling improv comedy, presentations, and classwork
• (9:52) Courtney's journey from her childhood in Atlanta, to consulting on health at Deloitte, to pursuing an MBA + EIPR master’s at Stanford
• (16:47) How Courtney's family reacted to her decision to pivot away from her initial dream to become a doctor, and how other influences in her life shaped that decision
• (20:34) Courtney's interest in extending health span, driven by watching family members age, experiences at Deloitte, and a Mexico City internship on a startup on healthy aging
• (25:11) Courtney's blog on healthy aging and her plans for a post on balance
• (31:30) Discussing barriers to accessing resources for healthy aging, from health literacy to ageism
• (38:07) Courtney's upcoming trip to a blue zone in Costa Rica and what she aims to learn there
• (41:06) Courtney's vision for her life at 67
• (42:56) How Knight-Hennessy has helped Courtney meet people from different disciplines
• (45:37) Courtney's improbable facts and advice to KH applicants

In Episode 10 of Imagine a World, Johnny Powell, first-year medical student and first 2023 scholar featured on the podcast, talks about being the first in his family to attend an Ivy League school and his journey to medicine. He shares how he balances grit with grace, where he gets his motivation to work out at 6AM every morning, and why he hopes to empower young people that look like him.

Highlights from the episode:

• (6:28) Johnny’s experience growing up in North Carolina; his decision to apply to an Ivy League school, taking a different path from his family, who attended HBCUs, and the culture shock and transformative experiences that Johnny had at Harvard
• (15:18) How Johnny first became interested in medicine, motivated by the experiences of his family members, and his path to eventually pursuing an MD through consulting and clinical research
• (19:12) Johnny’s experience running the Harvard Black Men’s Forum, as well as other advocacy and leadership positions, and how they inform his notion of good leadership
• (22:40) Johnny’s thoughts on his Imagine a World statement, about addressing all people’s health and social needs
• (26:25) Johnny’s approach to handling bad days maintaining a sense of optimism without sliding into toxic positivity, and balancing his practice of grit and grace
• (31:55) The role of the medical school community, Knight-Hennessy, and family in supporting Johnny during his time at Stanford, and the support he’s gotten from his mother throughout his life
• (35:22) How Johnny views his role in empowering future generations and his thoughts on the inaccessibility of med school application process
• (40:35) Johnny’s experience applying to the Knight-Hennessy and his improbable facts about his experience staying with a host family in Japan; his advice for applicants to the program

In this week’s episode, Vidal Arroyo (2022 cohort), 2nd year PhD student in Biophysics, takes us through his journey to Stanford as a first-generation college student and his passion for biophysics, poetry, and music. He opens up about mental health, his relationship with faith, and the importance of creativity and joy in science.

Highlights from the episode:

• (07:04) Vidal's path into science, from getting interested in kinesiology through wrestling growing up in Orange County, to his undergraduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology at Chapman University 
• (16:25) The story of how Vidal came to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, and how he thinks about the obstacles he faced on his journey  
• (22:42) Why Vidal identifies as a humanitarian scientist, and how that ethos developed out of his struggles with depression at Oxford and Stanford drawing him to reflect through faith, music and poetry
• (35:09) Vidal's reflection on his Imagine a World Statement about turning work into art, and the role of Knight-Hennessy in cultivating that approach 
• (43:20) The advice that Vidal gives to Knight-Hennessy applicants
• (49:10) One of Vidal's improbable facts (which is also a pun)

In this week’s episode, Ashwyn Sam (2020 cohort), 4th year PhD student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, reflects on the profound impact that a strong support system and the compassion of others have had on his professional journey. He also explains the beauty of theoretical physics, shares his passion for cinema, and reveals the reason he was fed goat brains as a child.

Highlights from the episode: 

• (3:40) Ashwyn’s path to immigration to the United States from India, the advocacy of his parents in finding a scholarship to attend college, and how his experiences inform his Imagine a World statement
• (22:30) The origination of Ashwyn’s interest in physics in The Big Bang Theory, and the factors leading to his his switch to engineering in college
• (29:26) Aswhyn’s current research on the detection of small orbital debris 
• (32:30) Ashwyn’s interest in teaching and storytelling, how Knight-Hennessy has allowed him to develop these skills, and the best story he’s heard recently
• (37:50) How Aswhyn’s faith influences his approach to life
• (41:26) Ashwyn’s improbable facts and advice for Knight-Hennessy applicants

In this episode, Aditya Vishwanath (2018 cohort), a graduate of the PhD program in Learning Sciences and Technology Design, shares his experiences with education and his vision for its future. Tune in to hear about his journey from memorizing his way through school exams in India to founding education reform organizations, all while finding the time to catch some Pokémon along the way.

Highlights from the episode: 

(3:24) How Aditya’s education growing up in India and the Middle East motivated his desire to become an education researcher

(11:20) What Aditya’s experiences as an undergraduate in computer science taught him about the limits of using technology for education reform

(16:20) The potential Aditya sees for technology in education when it is integrated with curricula and best curricular practices

(20:57) The work that Aditya thinks must be done to reimagine education

(26:43) Aditya’s experiences with Knight-Hennessy and advice to Knight-Hennessy applicants 

(30:30) Aditya’s improbable facts, namely his prolific knowledge of the Pokémon catalogue

In this episode, Emily Russell (2020 cohort), a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science discusses her upbringing in a large family, combining theatrical performance with political science, how she uses both to understand state violence, her sweet tooth and so much more.

Highlights from the episode:

• (3:06) Emily's winter break dreams of launching a microgreens garden and her upbringing in Michigan (Go Blue!)
• (12:56) Emily's personal and professional introduction to the idea of state violence and how she envisions a world with no state violence
• (23:08) Emily's experience building Playwriting for Peace, a project aimed at channeling empathy through expression in communities affected by conflict & state violence and her dissertation research
• (35:51) How KHS has affected Emily's experience, her improbable facts and advice for future KHS applicants

In this episode, Jaelynn Walls (2021 cohort), a Ph.D. candidate in Art History discusses, their introduction to artistic expression through creative writing, their journey to pursuing opportunities in curation, creating space to discuss contemporary artists of color, and so much more.

Highlights from the episode:

• (4:40) Jaelynn's love for Pixar, growing up in Houston and experiencing both homeschool and public school
• (13:45) How Jaelynn sparked an interest in art and began to build a following through their YouTube Channel "Art in Color"
• (26:38) Why Jaelynn focuses on youth in their work, their experience writing a book "The Queer Girl is Going to Be Okay," and how they handle critique
• (46:22) Jaelynn's improbable facts and advice for future KHS applicants

In this episode, Karishma Bhagani (2021 cohort), a Ph.D. candidate in Theatre & Performance Studies (TAPS), sheds light on the power of art to unite people and encourage empathy, her journey of growing up in Kenya as a fifth-generation East African to moving to New York to pursue a degree in theater and history, leveraging the arts to drive conversations of change, and so much more.

Highlights from the episode:

• (5:10) Karishma’s upbringing in Kenya and childhood training in dancing
• (9:35) Karishma’s journey into acting and her degree at NYU; her experiences directing and producing, and how they relate to her interest in history
• (16:06) Karishma’s thoughts on decolonizing the theatre canon by expanding it and critiquing it through a decolonial lens
• (19:05) The role of mentoring from strong women and parental support in navigating a career in the arts 
• (25:50) Karishma’s motivations for pursuing a PhD in theater and performance studies at Stanford, and closing the gap between academia and practice by using the university as a space for resistance
• (32:22) How the Knight-Hennessy community has shaped Karishma’s vision for the arts
• (34:54) Karishma’s experience directing and producing the play Haldi and Honey, written by the playwright Aleya Kassam, for her second-year candidacy exam
• (39:24) Karishma’s improbable facts and her polyglotism 
• (41:24) Karishma’s advice to applicants for Knight-Hennessy