Friendship and belonging as Knight-Hennessy scholars
In this episode, pull up a chair alongside members of the 2023 cohort, scholars Sanaa Alam, Hannah Melville-Rea, Leona Neftaliem, Jocelyn Ricard, and Takondwa Semphere, the best of friends who found each other at Denning House. Episode hosts Willie Thompson (2022 cohort) and Ashley Yeh (2024 cohort) interview the group about KH scholar life, the challenges and changes they have faced in their journeys, and how deep friendship fuels their growth.
Imagine A World is a podcast from Knight-Hennessy Scholars that provides a glimpse into the lives of inspiring scholars who are making significant contributions in their respective fields, challenging the status quo, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible as they imagine the world they want to see.
Resources
Guests
Sanaa Alam (2023 cohort, bottom right), from Lafayette, Louisiana, is pursuing a master’s degree in epidemiology and clinical research at Stanford School of Medicine. At Louisiana State University (LSU), she graduated summa cum laude, earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with minors in Spanish and political science. Sanaa aspires to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged populations in developing regions, particularly South Asia, by focusing on global health research, education, and policy. She interned at the Louisiana Department of Health, assisting with health equity projects in Baton Rouge. At LSU, she served as director of academic affairs for student government; founded a literacy program at a local, under-resourced school using a $5,000 grant awarded by the Honors College, and conducted aging research as a research assistant. She is a two-time recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship to study Urdu and received a Fulbright Award to teach English in La Rioja, Spain.
Alma Cooper (2023 cohort, not pictured), from Okemos, Michigan, is pursuing a master’s degree in statistics (data science track) at Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. She graduated with honors from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical science. Alma is passionate about elevating the voices of underrepresented minorities through data science. At West Point, she served as the brigade adjutant, leading and implementing accountability systems to ensure accountability for 4,400 cadets in emergency and crisis scenarios. She also traveled across the country with West Point’s Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity in STEM (LEADS) workshop, where she led STEM modules and discussions on ethical leadership with middle and high school students. Alma received the Mathematical Association of America’s Janet Liou-Mark Award, which honors undergraduate students for their research in mathematics or mathematics education.
Hannah Melville-Rea (2023 cohort, upper left) is a PhD student at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, pursuing an interdisciplinary degree in environment and resources. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University Abu Dhabi. Raised in Osaka, Japan by parents who hail from Australia and New Zealand, Hannah developed an interest in how different countries tackle natural disasters. Today, she aspires to work at the intersection of science and policy to minimize the impact of climate hazards on frontline communities. Prior to starting her PhD, Hannah worked at the Australia Institute, an independent think tank, where she translated climate projections into community briefs about extreme heat and provided recommendations for Australia’s climate resilience strategy. With a passion for global climate policy, Hannah tracked Paris Agreement negotiations as a student delegate to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), represented Japan at the G7 Youth Summit, and was named a UAE Ambassador for Nature.
Leona Neftaliem (2023 cohort, upper middle), from Alexandria, Virginia, is pursuing a PhD in environment and resources at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. She graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in sustainability. Leona is interested in exploring local carbon budgets and air quality along rural-urban population gradients and economic gradients, and developing new, comprehensive lenses into biogeochemistry using a socioecological framework. Additionally, she aims to understand community perceptions of and responses to climate change to identify emission risk tolerance and the consequences of climate burdens. Before Stanford, she worked as a research technician at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, designing technologically innovative climate change experiments. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, a Stanford Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Fellow, and a Stanford School of Sustainability Dean's Graduate Scholar.
Jocelyn A. Ricard (2023 cohort, upper right), from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine. Jocelyn graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. She studied overseas in Thailand, India, Croatia, Ghana, Iceland, and South Africa during her undergraduate program. Jocelyn has conducted research across various institutions, including at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand; the University of Minnesota; the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Berlin; Cornell University; and, most recently, Yale University. With a focus on substance use disorders, Jocelyn aims to understand how inequity and disadvantage impact brain functioning and to disrupt systemic racism in science. Her work has been published in numerous journals including Nature Neuroscience and The Lancet Psychiatry. Jocelyn is a 2023 recipient of the Ford Foundation Fellowship, awarded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere (2023 cohort, bottom left), from Lilongwe, Malawi, is pursuing an MS in learning design and technology at Stanford Graduate School of Education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in the study of women and gender and African studies at Smith College, where she was president of the Smith African and Caribbean Students’ Association for two years. Takondwa aspires to combine her passion for writing and design to develop story-driven digital media that connects people across differences. Before Stanford, she was a faculty member at the African Leadership Academy. She has participated in several fellowships through Three Dot Dash, the Watson Institute, and Princeton in Africa, and she received the Hilliard P. Jenkins Fellowship. Takondwa has published a children’s book and earned recognition for entrepreneurship and storytelling, including an OZY Genius Award and the Draper Competition. She has spoken at conferences in Germany, Ghana, and Mauritius, and facilitated workshops in Uganda and Rwanda.
Hosts
This episode of Imagine A World is hosted by Willie Thompson, left, and Ashley Yeh, right.
Ashley Yeh (2024 cohort), from Hsinchu, Taiwan, is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine. She graduated from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Using her cross-disciplinary knowledge, Ashley aims to understand the neural circuits involved in behavior and their implications in neurological disorders while also working with clinicians to improve treatment outcomes for patients suffering from these disorders.
Willie Thompson (2022 cohort), from Griffin, Georgia, is pursuing a master's degree in business administration at Stanford Graduate School of Business and a master's degree in policy, organization, and leadership studies at Stanford Graduate School of Education. He graduated summa cum laude from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in Chinese Studies. Willie intends to create and contribute to organizations using the arts as a conduit for community building and intercultural education.
Imagine A World's theme music was composed and recorded by Taylor Goss. The podcast was originally conceived and led by Briana Mullen (2020 cohort), Taylor Goss (2021 cohort), and Willie Thompson, along with Daniel Gajardo (2020 cohort) and Jordan Conger (2020 cohort).
Special thanks to Rachel Desch (2023 cohort), Max Du (2024 cohort), Tanajia Moye-Green (2024 cohort), Ashley Yeh (2024 cohort), Barkotel Zemenu (2024 cohort), Anson Zhou (2024 cohort), and Elle Rae Tumpalan, KHS marketing and events assistant.
Knight-Hennessy scholars represent a vast array of cultures, perspectives, and experiences. While we as an organization are committed to elevating their voices, the views expressed are those of the scholars, and not necessarily those of KHS.
Full transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated by machine and lightly edited by humans. They may contain errors.
Sanaa Alam:
So I jumped into the circle and I was a star. And then the next person jumps into the circle and is a related word, and I thought the next person was going to say Moon or Planet and then you were so creative with Beyonce.
Sydney Hunt:
Welcome to the Imagine A World podcast from Knight-Hennessy Scholars. We are here to give you a glimpse into the Knight-Hennessy Scholar community of graduate students spanning all seven Stanford schools, including business, education, engineering, humanities, law, medicine, and sustainability. In each episode, we talk with scholars about the world they imagine and what they are doing to bring it to life.
Willie Thompson:
Today, we're doing a little something different with the pod. We're speaking with not one, not two, not three, not four, but five scholars about friendship. Now this group of five will discuss how their friendship was formed and how they support and have supported each other throughout their journeys at Stanford and at Knight-Hennessy. We also talked to this group about how they've removed the silos of graduate school intellectually, emotionally, socially, and so much more.
Yo, what's up y'all? Welcome to another episode of the Imagine A World Podcast. I am your host, one of your hosts, Willie Thompson, a member of the 2022 cohort. Just finished at the business school, at the ed school right now. And oh, snaps. Oh, we're doing snaps. Oh wow. And if it's not clear, I'm joined by more than just a co-host and one guest. I'm joined by a lot of folks, and this is a very special episode we're going to do today.
But before we even get into the episode, I have to introduce one of the newest members of the team who's also serving in a host capacity today, Ashley.
Ashley Yeh:
Hello everyone. My name is Ashley Yeh. I'm a part of the 2024 Knight-Hennessy cohort and I'm a first year PhD student in neurosciences. Excited to be here.
Willie Thompson:
I'm into the snaps. This is a good vibe. We should just have this as a sound effect in future episodes. We do the intros. And again, like I said, we normally do this with maybe one, two people max, but today we're doing it with five. That's crazy. Today we're going to talk about friendship, a very important topic, not just in leadership, but just in life. And I could speak all day about the five amazing women we've got today as our guests, but I'll let them speak for themselves. So let's just have everybody introduce themselves. I mean you know the drill, some of y'all were on the podcast team last year or have been interviewed on the podcast before. So let's start with Joce and go around and say name, program, cohort, where you're from.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Hi everyone, I'm Jocelyn. I'm from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm a part of the '23 cohort and I'm doing a PhD in neuroscience.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Hi everyone. I'm Hannah. I am in the 2023 cohort. I'm doing a PhD in environment and resources at the School of Sustainability. And I have a little bit of a complicated where are you from story, but my mom is Aussie, my dad is Kiwi, so from New Zealand and Australia. Grew up in Japan until I was 18 and now this is home I guess.
Willie Thompson:
We'll get to that.
Sanaa Alam:
Such a cool answer, okay. My name is Sanaa. I'm also in the 2023 cohort. I'm from Lafayette, Louisiana. Shout out to Taylor. And I'm doing my master's in epidemiology and clinical research.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Hi everyone, my name is Takondwa. I am in the 2023 cohort as well. I'm from Lilongwe, Malawi, and I'm about to finish my master's in learning design and technology at the Graduate School of Education. Why did I get snapped? Everybody deserves snaps.
Leona Neftaliem:
Hi everyone, I'm Leona. I'm a third year PhD student in environment and resources as well, also in the 2023 cohort. And I'm from Alexandria, Virginia.
Willie Thompson:
Awesome. Like I said, we're talking about friendship today and we've got a group of friends, we're missing one, but we'll talk a little about that too as we're getting into the conversation here. So I think we were talking about this, or I wasn't talking about this, I think this was mentioned pre-camera, but someone asked where the idea for this podcast came from, and it actually came from Knight-Hennessy's own marketing collateral. Shout out to Stacy Pena who's done a lot work, because we did this series on Knight-Hennessy Scholar Journeys and Jocelyn was featured on that along with a couple other folks. And the sixth member of the Sweet Six, which is this group of six friends, Alma Cooper, has also been profiled before for Knight-Hennessy. And something you noticed in the videos that they did for the two of y'all is that you see similar people. So I was like, oh, this supposed be like a friend group. It was a pattern, yeah. Someone was asking Jocelyn about her research and all this other stuff.
And so I found it really interesting to see this commonality between some of these externally facing videos. And sometimes you might wonder is that staged? Is it fabricated?
Sanaa Alam:
I'm just a paid extra. Jocelyn's friend number four.
Willie Thompson:
Well, you're really feigning the friendship thing really if you are a extra. But yeah, it's something that's real and tangible, I thought it'd be great to get that actually captured on camera. This is the first time I'm doing that. And we're also doing it via audio.
So to that end, I want to just get started with friendship in general and that features a specific question around how did y'all meet? Where did this friendship come from? How did y'all choose to become friends? Just who wants to give some context on how this group got started?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
So Leona and I, we were already friends when we applied to Knight-Hennessy actually. I mean going through immersion weekend, it was so awesome to have Leona with me because we were already first-year PhD students, so we applied to start in our second year. And then that's when I remember meeting Takondwa and Sanaa actually, I met both of you immersion weekend. So I'll let you jump in.
Sanaa Alam:
Yeah. I believe I met Hannah right after I finished my interview, the individual interview and the group interview. And I was very stressed that morning and just wanted to talk to someone that would calm me down. And immediately when I sat next to you, just the cortisol levels in my body, I could feel it decreasing rapidly. Hannah just had the most soothing aura and I remember thinking, obviously I hope I am given this scholarship, it's an amazing opportunity, but I also really want to be friends with this girl. And your background hearing New Zealand and living in Japan and having this very unique cultural identity, I remember thinking like, wow, if this is what a typical Knight-Hennessy Scholar is like, then I'm in for a treat if I join this community. So yeah, she was kind of my first impression of what my friends might look like here and that was really beautiful.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Likewise. And also remember Takondwa, you were talking about your students?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Oh yeah, I feel like I always yap about my students. I remember meeting you Hannah, because your surname Melville, the first part anyway, is the name of the neighborhood I lived in Joburg. So I remember mentally bookmarking it like, oh my gosh, that's a good sign. I typically don't remember how I met my friends to be very frank. I don't remember meeting anyone else. I don't remember the moment I saw you, but I think what I remember is just after a while you start to gravitate towards people. If I'm at an event, my eyes scan the room, who do I want to sit next to? And I think each of you became that person for me in one way or another. So no cute how we've met stories from me, but yeah, there's that.
Leona Neftaliem:
I actually have a pretty vivid memory of us meeting.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I still love you.
Leona Neftaliem:
Okay, something actually I haven't told you before. So our first meeting was on the Denning House porch, which was really beautiful, during immersion weekend. I remember thinking you had a really beautiful smile and that your cheekbones were eight, just so beautiful. Yes. As she serves us her cheekbone. And then we're actually neighbors, we live on the same floor, on the same side, of course in the same building. And I knew that earlier on, but we ran into each other before fall retreat and we were like, oh my God, you live here? And I was like, oh my god, you live here.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I knew.
Leona Neftaliem:
So it was like randomly assigned.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Sorry?
Leona Neftaliem:
Randomly assigned.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Mmmmm. We can borrow sugar from each other. The proverbial sugar.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I also remember on day one, there was that theater kind of exercise that we did with Dan and Lisa, and I just remember we had to jump into a circle and be something. And I remember Takondwa came in and she was like, Beyonce. And I was like, she is so cool.
Willie Thompson:
Do you remember this?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I do remember that. I'm glad that's what you thought, because I feel like the vibes were weird that day. It's because we didn't all know each other yet, so I don't know how things are received in the space. It's nice to know that there were some good affirming hearts and minds in the space.
Willie Thompson:
What type of Beyonce did you embody? Was it Cowboy Carter? Was it Crazy in Love?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I think I just put my hands on my hips.
Willie Thompson:
I feel like that's Beyonce.
Sanaa Alam:
Were you going to get the backstory, Jocelyn?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
I was just going to say, I also remember Sanaa coming in and being Star.
Sanaa Alam:
So I jumped into the circle and I was a star, and then the next person jumps into the circle and is a related word. And I thought the next person was going to say moon or planet. And then you were so creative and just came out with Beyonce. Mahder was paparazzi and it just got so fun after that. Yeah, that was a fun first impression.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Also, I feel like this was a bit later, but I remember your storytelling and just coming away from that and just feeling like, wow, what an expansive person. You're literally the smallest person. Expansive and brave and just admirable. Yeah, I remember just feeling a lot of admiration for you that day.
Willie Thompson:
And this is the first year storytelling, right?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
But that was further along. I don't think that was when I was like, oh, I don't know her.
Sanaa Alam:
Thank you for saying that. And I think most of us were in storytelling together actually in Dan and Lisa's class, and we had gotten to know one another at immersion weekend in day one early on in the fall quarter. But I feel like throughout the year chatting after the storytelling class and then getting to ultimately watch your... so for context, for people that don't know what storytelling is, it's a required class in your first year of Knight-Hennessy and Dan and Lisa, who are such wonderful-
Willie Thompson:
Shout out to Dan and Lisa.
Sanaa Alam:
... Yeah, shout out to Dan and Lisa. Don't know their last names, I need to find out.
Willie Thompson:
Rolling and Flying.
Sanaa Alam:
Yeah, they teach you elements of good storytelling and we are all required to give a five minute speech to our cohort. And you can talk about a personal life experience or about your research or whatever you want really. And literally remember every single one of yours and feeling just absolutely blown away by your poise and your intellect and your eloquence and just the way that you care for the people around you and your communities. And yeah, just could go on and on about each one of your storytelling sessions.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like relatedly too, the Deep Dive that you and Alma did, and I was in tears.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
You were all crying.
Willie Thompson:
And for people listening, what's Deep Dive?
Sanaa Alam:
I'm really involved. Yeah, so Deep Dive is a Knight-Hennessy tradition where scholars get to interview one another in this intimate setting in Denning House about their lived experiences. And so we gather in the classroom that we're in right now and put on a virtual fireplace and have a very wholesome time talking about really the core of our journeys to KH. And so Jocelyn interviewed Alma and I'll let you talk more about that.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Yeah, I guess I interviewed Alma and it was so fun because you're just talking with one of your best friends, but you almost forget that a lot of people are watching. And it's really I think a really special moment because people see us in Denning House interact, but now there's a bunch of pictures and a lot of storytelling that comes along with friendship. And so I think it was really amazing to be able to do that with her, but also to share it with the community. And obviously I look at all these girls and they're crying in the front row, that was such a great moment.
Ashley Yeh:
That's amazing. And I was also just wondering back to when you guys first met, what were all of your first impressions of each other and how has that changed over time?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Oh, I will say I met Takondwa at dinner, at the first dinner during immersion night. And I told you, I don't know if you remember this, but I said, you are so beautiful and your outfit was incredible. And I met Leona in line during one of the immersion weekend events for lunch or something. And I really truly feel this, that these are the type of people that I felt like, okay, if I don't get Knight-Hennessy, I'll be okay knowing that these type of people are in this community and that they are so deserving. Truly, absolutely, I still feel that. I still believe that.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
No, 100%.
Willie Thompson:
Any other first impressions you want to talk about?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
We know you remember. Your memory is so good.
Leona Neftaliem:
Oh my God, thank you so much. That is very sweet. Generally, sorry if this is too informal, but I just feel like they're baddies. Oh my God, it's so true. Just truly the most cool and confident women I know. And I feel like I'm really drawn to that, especially at this point of my life. And I think they all embody qualities that I want to be and embody more. So yeah, first impression, obsessed, I want to spend more time with them and so glad it actually happened.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Something I really appreciate about Leona is she will remember everyone's birthday. I don't know how she does it, but even with me.
Leona Neftaliem:
Thank you so much.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I think she's a Capricorn.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like that was one of the early things we did even in our PhD cohort, was like, we are going to put together a calendar. We have to put everyone's birthdays in and every birthday we're going to celebrate it. And I feel like that's something that you do so well, even in all the communities you're in, is just make people feel special and celebrate those moments. Which I think is so important, especially in a PhD program, in I think the kinds of work that we're doing. I think we're all trying to tackle pretty challenging topics and it's I think so crucial to have those moments where we can just celebrate and laugh. And I think you bring so much of that.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I've had some really rough patches over the past year and Leona was like a little fairy, just dropping good vibes my way, in many ways that I think maybe seemed very small to her or to you. There was just a lot going on, I'll just keep it simple. But some days we just get a text like, hey, I left you something at your door and it's like a little bouquet of flowers and Trader Joe's mochi green tea that I'm just obsessed with. And it was like, you know the meme with the dog with this is fine when everything is burning? In that moment, that was my cup of tea in that this is fine scenario, where I'm like, oh, this is actually. And I think you're just very attentive and you have your finger on the pulse of how people are doing. I don't know, you just do that very well. You're kind and you're generous.
Sanaa Alam:
Yeah, I echo everything that's already been said about Leona and everyone else, just literally the fairy godmother of this group, good vibes all the time. And I think similarly over the past year, I've had lots of ups and downs. Graduate school, it's a roller coaster of emotions and I think especially my first quarter at Stanford was a particularly challenging time of my life. I think by that point I hadn't yet gotten very close to all of you, I think maybe winter quarter is when I started really investing into my friendships here, but just remember feeling so protected by all of you. And I would step into Denning and when you would just ask how I was doing and oftentimes, I am a pretty open person as you all know, I will share very quickly. If I'm not doing well, you'll find out exactly why within five minutes of meeting me.
And it was so wonderful to be able to be vulnerable with you guys during that time and have it be received with such warmth and acceptance and generosity. And I don't know if I would've gotten through that first quarter here without your presence. And I know we weren't even that close at that time, but truly, your presence meant more to me than you'll ever know. So thank you.
Willie Thompson:
So to this point though, I'm wondering, you all are solving really challenging or hoping to solve really challenging problems, and grad school's hard and I've heard numerous times Tina and John talk about the idea that a big point of this community is that grad school can be very lonely, very isolating. You're sort of off in your labs. I was at the business school, we don't have labs, but you are all somewhere just pursuing things that you care about. How did you all make time to build these bonds and these connections? I'm hearing a lot of KH programming, so shot out to the program team on that with retreats and everything, and day one and immersion weekend. But yeah, how do you find the time to hang out and finish your work in such rigorous programs?
Leona Neftaliem:
I think Denning House lunch is so incredibly powerful for building community. Shout out Flor, shout out to the entire team. Thank you so much. Seriously, I think even the toughest weeks, the busiest weeks, we still find time to find one another because we're in this space. And if it weren't for Denning lunch, I think it would be a lot harder. I think we spend a lot of time together, but Denning House makes it really easy.
Willie Thompson:
I can attest to this. If you're ever at Denning House between the hours of 11:30 AM to 1 PM, you'll find at least four of the six of these friends somewhere on the deck eating lunch.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
So real, that is accurate. And now that they don't have the big boxes anymore, because I think half the time I was the one just coming to 10 minutes and I'm out. But now it's like, you know what? I see what they're doing and it's going to work.
I think my program, for example, my master's program is only 20 people. We actually ended up being 19 in the end, so it's pretty small. And I think if it wasn't for my KH friends and Denning House, I would've had a very siloed grad school experience because it's also one year long. It's really very quick. But I think the depth of friendships that I've been able to have with people, a lot of them have been in KH and it's because we're literally breaking bread with each other every other day. And I think that's just powerful. And even in those moments, it's like I've met some other really dope people in Knight-Hennessy because maybe they were sitting with Jocelyn at lunch and I was like, oh, I've never spoken to Pierce, but now I have. He's always with Leona. So yeah, really it's just beautiful, the ways that good people can light the way to other good people.
Sanaa Alam:
So my first year of my master's program was quite intensive with coursework, so I was always coding in R or something in the Denning House classroom, and wish that I could have attended more of those lunches. But the nice thing about those study spaces is they'll often become social spaces quite quickly. They're not a great place to be productive.
Willie Thompson:
Academically productive, but socially, yes.
Sanaa Alam:
That's so true. There are multiple kinds of productivity. But yeah, it was really nice to be able to come here for a few hours and get my work done and then just start gabbing with Hannah about just the most random stuff, and get our snacks from the fridge.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Dance moms.
Willie Thompson:
Dance moms?
Sanaa Alam:
Actually, I know we'll get to improbable facts later, but one of my improbable facts was that I used to run a dance mom's Instagram fan page in middle school that had 20,000 followers. So now you all know. And yeah, Hannah loved that.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Is it still up there?
Sanaa Alam:
Yes, but it's dropped down to 10K because it's been inactive for 12 years.
Willie Thompson:
That's good though. You still got half of the followers.
Ashley Yeh:
Wait, what's the Instagram handle?
Sanaa Alam:
Oh, God. I don't know if I can give that away.
Willie Thompson:
It's okay, it's all right. Someone will find it.
Sanaa Alam:
Please don't expose me, you guys. But yeah, I feel like I got to know you guys in between work sessions at Denning that first year.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
I think Hannah brought this up in the document, but one really cool thing I think is like, when someone's busy they can step away. And for example, when Hannah and Leona had quals in the last year, there was times where we didn't see them as much. And I still think that we always make time for each other, but there are times where school is the priority. And so I think there's a lot of mutual respect around people needing to take time when they do and then can come back in when they feel a good time.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Yeah. I mean, speaking of Alma, right, she's busy right now, but we can't wait for her to-
Willie Thompson:
What do you mean she's busy right now?
Sanaa Alam:
What is she up to?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Alma, if you don't know, is an incredible person who is going to be competing in Miss Universe in November. She is Miss USA 2024 and a Knight-Hennessy Scholar and yeah, one of our best friends. And so I think it's like Jocelyn is saying, we all have our seasons of busy. I mean, Takondwa, you were traveling until recently too. And I think it's the kind of space that yes, we will miss you deeply when you're away, but we're going to be so excited when we see you next.
Leona Neftaliem:
And if not in person, certainly over a voice note.
Ashley Yeh:
Tell me more about that?
Leona Neftaliem:
I am always up in everybody's DMs voice noting, holding them hostage to my notes.
Sanaa Alam:
Leona has the most soothing voice notes, like her voice, it's like melted chocolate and it's the most wonderful thing to listen to. So yeah, you're not holding us hostage.
Willie Thompson:
So this assumes that there's a group chat. So you all have iPhones?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
No, we're on WhatsApp. We're a very inclusive and diverse group.
Willie Thompson:
Wow.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
We don't discriminate.
Willie Thompson:
That's definitely a choice. I'm sorry, you were saying something?
Leona Neftaliem:
No worries. I feel like the voice note functionality on WhatsApp is better anyways.
Willie Thompson:
Oh for sure. For some reason, I like it a lot. You scroll up, that was nice. It's good UX.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Generally, it's superior to other platforms.
Leona Neftaliem:
So even if we're not in person, the voice notes live in perpetuity.
Sanaa Alam:
I was going to say, it feels like there's also always something to celebrate, like birthdays and finishing your quals and finishing a paper. So there's lots of celebratory dinners and just dance parties at Hannah's place.
Willie Thompson:
I'm seeing a dance theme.
Sanaa Alam:
I know, it really sounds like we're dancers.
Willie Thompson:
This is just dancing.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
But we love to dance.
Leona Neftaliem:
These two, Sanaa and Hannah, are very good dancers. Jocelyn eats too, T, Takondwa, eats too.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
At the KH fromal, we were all on the floor.
Sanaa Alam:
But no, Hannah hosted a just dance party at her house, party of five. It was a workout and a great bonding time. First of many.
Willie Thompson:
I'm ignorant, so it's just dance. Is it like Zumba or something or is it like Wii dance?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Yeah, it's kind of like if you would imagine a Wii or a Switch. It's basically just a video game but you hold a console and then the avatars tell you what to do and you do that.
Sanaa Alam:
We have to invite you to the next one.
Ashley Yeh:
You guys have talked a little bit about your stories so far, but out of all the years or the year of stories between you guys, what are each of your favorite stories coming out of you guys hanging out or KH events?
Leona Neftaliem:
Great question.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I mean on this theme of having you over at mine, I feel like watching Miss USA on our TV, it was hectic, because-
Willie Thompson:
I heard. That time delay I heard.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Right. It was going to be streaming, but it was streaming two hours later Pacific time. So we were like, we can't watch Alma compete live. And so Takondwa came to the rescue.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I did, because I'm chronically online. Went to TikTok and I searched Miss USA on the live section and there was some random obscure TikToker streaming it live. I think there were 15 people watching and it was a weird angle of their TV. So we ended up hooking up the laptop that was logged into my TikTok account, streaming from this person, and then projecting it on the TV. So we were watching someone's TV through their TikTok live stream at a weird angle. And it was not high enough so we had to be quiet and sometimes strain and sit close to the TV. It was wild, but it worked out and we got to see her walk and everything. But it pays to be online all the time.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
You saved the day, honestly. And then when Alma was announced as top five, I remember we just screamed so loudly, so loudly. One of my neighbors is also in our cohort, Bruno, and his wife Cheralyn, they just got married. And so they live like 50 meters down the road, neighbors, we screamed so loudly that they texted me and they're like, was that you screaming? And then we're like, Alma just made top five. Come over right now. And they came over and we watched her win the whole thing together, and it was just such a special moment. And the perfect continuation, all of us were actually watching Miss Michigan as well together when she was competing in that.
Willie Thompson:
What's it like to see your friend competing on a stage like that?
Leona Neftaliem:
Definitely insane, but honestly I feel like we all had so much faith. There was no competition. No hate to the other girls. She is just such a star and it shows. And in the TikTok live, the comments were like, Miss Michigan eats! And then obviously, we're commenting too, we're like, correct, correct, correct. She is great.
Ashley Yeh:
That TikTok streamer will never know what he was a part of.
Leona Neftaliem:
It was like a couple from the Midwest. And they were really responsive to our demands in like, oh, turn up the volume. Don't talk too much. Close to the mic. We're trying to hear.
Sanaa Alam:
I was going to say, it's incredible that I remember the moment Alma told us at winter retreat in Santa Cruz in January that she was going to go for this lifelong dream she had of competing in Miss Michigan at that time. And two months later, three months later, she's just won Miss Michigan, she's off to compete in Miss USA and now here we are helping her get ready for Miss Universe. And it's been so beautiful to sort of be on that journey with her from the beginning.
And yeah, also that winter retreat I'm just remembering is when I met Leona. There's a really lovely photo actually of all of us hanging out by the fire and gabbing that evening. And I remember, I think our first conversation was about skincare and beauty products. I was like, this girl has all the secrets I need, just keep her close. And then yeah, have had many wonderful deep conversations after that. But yeah, that was a really fun bonding experience. I think the fall retreat too was a really wonderful way for us all to get closer.
Willie Thompson:
Which is always earmarked with karaoke. What did y'all do? Did you all do Karaoke?
Sanaa Alam:
We did firework together, I think.
Ashley Yeh:
Good choice. Very good choice.
Leona Neftaliem:
Takondwa did My Boo.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Probably the best performance of my life. If I say so myself.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
You all missed out, truly.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I thought there would be more karaoke in Knight-Hennessy writ large.
Willie Thompson:
We can change that. We got the KHeystone Idea Festival. We need to pitch that.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Karaoke is good for the soul.
Leona Neftaliem:
In another favorite memory, while we're talking about Alma, when she won Miss Michigan, we all got her a bouquet of flowers. And it was really cute to watch her be shocked every single time someone had flowers for her. And the pictures were so cute, it was like one, two, four, five, six. I love flowers, so that was really cute too.
Sanaa Alam:
We should talk about SF MoMA too, because she was wearing her crown and sash.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Yeah, this was right after she won Miss Michigan. And it's so funny, I almost feel like I became a bodyguard, because it was amazing how many people came up to her and were like, are you really Miss Michigan? And she'd be like, yes I am.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
She had the crown.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Everyone was from Michigan at the SF MoMA that night. But it was really cool actually, people were so excited, so shocked that she was there. And also we all think a good chunk of us got to meet Tierra Whack too, which is one of the artists I love. So it was just overall an amazing night.
Sanaa Alam:
That was such a fun night. Hannah and I were dancing up on the stage. I alwasy find myself dancing with Hannah and Takondwa; at Spring formal, which is on my birthday, which is so fun. I lost Jocelyn, she went to the poker table.
Willie Thompson:
For four hours? You played blackjack or poker for four hours?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Blackjack this time. Just weird.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
No text, no call could get through her.
Willie Thompson:
She's focused.
Sanaa Alam:
Fully locked in.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
We did a shift change where people who were playing left. Oh my gosh, I'm just having a ball. I don't know what time it is.
Leona Neftaliem:
Casino games hate to see her coming.
Sanaa Alam:
I will also never forget when I went to, I went to this DJ in San Francisco with one of my best friends at Knight-Hennessy, she's a Lebanese scholar, shout at Aya, but she took me to this DJ. His name is DJ Habibi Beats and he's this Palestinian American artist. I used to argue with so many people about if it was DJ Habibeats or Habibi Beats. Which side are you on to, Takondwa?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I'm on your side.
Sanaa Alam:
Okay, thank you.
Willie Thompson:
Which is right?
Sanaa Alam:
Habibi Beats. Yeah, it's more fun to say. But yeah, Aya took me and was dancing the night way to this mix of Arab and hip hop fusion mix. And I run randomly bumped into Hannah in this crowd of like a thousand people or something, and we were just as usual dancing.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I was with Tammy, another KH scholar in 2022. Shout out Tammy, one of my best friends.
Sanaa Alam:
And so the four of us just danced the night away. We're always dancing in this group.
Leona Neftaliem:
Or eating MJ Sushi. Shout out to MJ.
Willie Thompson:
I heard about this, these infamous MJ Sushi dinners. How much of your KH stipend has gone to MJ Sushi?
Sanaa Alam:
Maybe like 10%.
Willie Thompson:
They know you all by name probably. They probably probably see the group, the table is right here.
Leona Neftaliem:
If they had a rewards program, oh my God.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I haven't sat there to eat sushi. I've taken it to go and ordered from there, but never sat there I think. Yeah, we need to have a little rendezvous at MJ Sushi. All of us. It's amazing.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I mean I think even Bruno is also a big fan of MJ Sushi, because we celebrated his 30th there.
Sanaa Alam:
It's a special place.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
It really is. And it's affordable.
Willie Thompson:
Is it that good?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
The sushi's good.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Does have free ice cream at the end and a free drink. Very affordable.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
And your first drink is free.
Willie Thompson:
Then you pay for the refills.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
If you get another drink.
Willie Thompson:
I'm used to paying and then the free refills.
Leona Neftaliem:
I think our next plan is to hit up every store. There's an MJ Sushi in Palo Alto that sees us a lot. We went to MJ Sushi Fremont last night.
Willie Thompson:
Fremont is fantastic. Fremont is delicious.
Sanaa Alam:
We did get a little confused with the navigation on the way back from Turkish lamp making.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
It was the closest one, so I just said MJ Sushi, because I thought it would auto-populate Palo Alto, but it said we had to see the Fremont location tonight.
Sanaa Alam:
The Fremont one slapped, and there was an Indian wedding going on right next door. Beautiful Indian outfits and us vibing to the music and eating our sushi and yeah, it was an experience. So shout out to the Fremont MJ Sushi.
Willie Thompson:
Maybe you should work out a a little brand deal. Sponsorship for lunch, I didn't think about that.
Sanaa Alam:
We could have had a spread of MJ Sushi.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like at first, we're hyping up our stuff, now MJ sushi. I promise it is not sponsored at all.
Willie Thompson:
Not sponsored at all, but by KH. So one interesting thing that's to note is that not only are you all from different countries, different cultures, different backgrounds, you're also in programs with different timelines. Takondwa, I think will be the first of the six to retire her Stanford ID card to become an alumna. And I'm wondering how are you all planning on staying in touch given the fact that some of you'll be here at Stanford a long time, looking at the terminal degree folks, and some will be gone sooner. Yeah. How are you planning on managing that?
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I think we're just ignoring the topic. For now, it's still a little raw, I don't know. But this road will end and when it does, we'll be somewhere other than where we are now. That is saying nothing. I think personally, I'm feeling a little bit of existential dread, and it's another fork in the road moment. And I've been doing long-distance friendships since I was 16, so I've spent pretty much half of my life just having the people I love scattered across time zones. And yeah, it happens. We have WhatsApp, thankfully our sponsor, that is not our sponsor. And I don't know, maybe I'm not going to go very far, who knows? So I don't know what anyone else is thinking with that.
Sanaa Alam:
I'm just in denial. I'm going to keep living in Delululand until I graduate and have to come to terms with the fact that yeah, I won't be able to see you guys every day at Denning anymore. But yeah, I've just been trying to live in the present as much as possible because I tend to wallow in existential dread as chapters come to a close as well.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I mean echoing you Takondwa, I feel like I've also had a lot of long-distance friendships, like really strong friendships that I still think of as so dear even if they live in very different parts of the world. And I really feel like with this group of people, it's like you're going to be at my wedding. You're going to be at those big moments. And it doesn't matter if we don't see each other all the time, we're going to just catch up and it's going to be like nothing changed. I really look forward to that longevity in friendship, and I have so much faith that it's not going to be a problem. Yeah, you're going to always be in my life. And that's when we're going to listen to this podcast in 10 years and I think that we'll all be crying together. But yeah, I really truly believe that.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Yeah. It's also an excuse for y'all to visit Malawi, which we'll continue yapping about until that group chat opens.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
There's a KH trip to South Africa and I'm like, I am trying to get on that so that we can go to Johannesburg afterwards.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
And I will sneak into your suitcase. Johannesburg, with all my heart.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Yeah, I was just going to echo Hannah that I really believe that these are lifelong friendships, so no matter where we are in the world, we'll always be connected in some way.
Willie Thompson:
Yeah, I was catching up with a friend this weekend and we were reminiscing about how the sign of a friendship is like your catch-up doesn't have to be on the calendar. You just call. We both got kids and stuff so he's like, yeah, you just pick up the phone. That's a good sign of a friendship. So I'm excited to see these little pop-ups around the world.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
We actually are, a few of us are going to Mexico City to cheer on Alma, so we do have a trip planned.
Leona Neftaliem:
First group trip of many.
Ashley Yeh:
When is this happening?
Leona Neftaliem:
November 14th.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
It's soon, okay. Well, we got to be there for the finals.
Willie Thompson:
I don't how it works. So is it just each day is like a competition and then whoever's left on day three is-
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like we need to call Alma for this.
Sanaa Alam:
We just kind of booked the tickets.
Willie Thompson:
A true friend, don't worry about the details.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Which is very common, and she's going to be in the grand final regardless. And so that's what we've gotten tickets for.
Willie Thompson:
I love it.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
And also the voice notes I think will keep us afloat forever. Thank you for your service, Leona.
Willie Thompson:
Are y'all going to document the trip in any way?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Oh, I'm sure, yes.
Leona Neftaliem:
We do take lots of photos and videos, like nonstop.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Maybe we should be the TikTok streamers this time.
Ashley Yeh:
Maybe you guys could live stream for the rest of us folks over here. We can project it right on the screen.
Willie Thompson:
That's really good idea. A watch party for Miss Universe.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Get a press pass.
Willie Thompson:
Y'all really should have a press pass.
Ashley Yeh:
Honestly. VIPs.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I just hear screaming though.
Leona Neftaliem:
I know. I feel like the content might be a bit tough, because we're literally always shouting, screaming, or like crying.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Honestly I feel like I get so stressed watching her compete, even though I know she's going to win. I mean I don't think any of us knew anything about pageants until this journey began, but it's like suddenly I feel like we all had opinions. We were just like that girl, I think she's going to... very strong predictions the whole time.
Willie Thompson:
Well we're going to do a little bit of rapid fire here soon before we finish out. We didn't get a chance to touch on this very concretely, so I want to create some space to just touch on it briefly. I know that you all have a lot of things in common in terms of your civic mindset, independence of thought and your-
Sanaa Alam:
Purposeful leadership.
Willie Thompson:
Purposeful leadership.
Sanaa Alam:
I read the website recently.
Willie Thompson:
The three criteria that determine, or the criteria used to assess Knight-Hennessy Scholars applicants. What else do you feel like the group has in common?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Oh, can I just say, I think these are the funniest people known to man. I can't stop laughing all the time. So funny. Our humor is really similar.
Leona Neftaliem:
I feel like we're all pretty good at imitations.
Willie Thompson:
Of each other?
Sanaa Alam:
Yeah, you're good at imitations.
Leona Neftaliem:
I think we're all very good. I feel like there have been moments where you guys say things that sound like other...
Hannah Melville-Rea:
My favorite is Leona's comeback, she went to Ireland and then she is come back and now I've started saying gorgeous.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I'm obsessed with that.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
And we have sets of twins. Do you want me to talk about this? Because you are a twin.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Yes, I'm an identical twin.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
My dad is an identical twin.
Sanaa Alam:
My dad's an identical twin.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
My mom's a twin. Her twin's no longer with us, but she was a twin.
Sanaa Alam:
I'm just realizing this, this is crazy. Do you have a twin?
Leona Neftaliem:
No, I wish.
Willie Thompson:
That you know of. My sister taught me a lot.
Leona Neftaliem:
My brother and I are 13 months apart, so we were almost Irish twins, would've been born in the same year.
Willie Thompson:
Oh, that's what Irish twins are?
Leona Neftaliem:
Yeah.
Willie Thompson:
Okay, got you.
Leona Neftaliem:
Wouldn't that have been gorgeous.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I see you and I appreciate you.
Sanaa Alam:
We kind of touched on this how we're all in very different programs. So like Leona and Hannah study sustainability, Jocelyn's in neuroscience, Takondwa's in education, and I'm in epidemiology, so very, very different fields. But I like the way you said it, Hannah, we all sort of center our work around themes of justice and equity and accessibility. And so I think that's part of the reason also that we mesh so well, because it's very easy to find similar values and be able to really have meaningful discussions about our work in addition to personal stuff.
Leona Neftaliem:
Definitely. I think we really do care about the world in the same ways, which is really beautiful.
Willie Thompson:
So on the rapid fire, look, we've got a set of questions, we're not going to go through all of them. Ashley and I will trade off on these questions. And when I ask you this question, you'll just point to the person that you feel like the question applies to. So for example, I'm just going to throw it out, the question was who is most likely to win an Oscar for the imitations? Bam. Beautiful, you got it.
All right, so are we ready for rapid fire? Okay. First question, who's most likely to text back?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
These two.
Willie Thompson:
Okay. Jocelyn and Leona, okay.
Sanaa Alam:
Convocation is important.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Convocation with a KH.
Ashley Yeh:
Who is the most likely to start a viral TikTok trend? Accidentally.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
Oh, yeah.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
That's a good thing.
Leona Neftaliem:
It is indeed. You're influential. And you have really infectious speech patterns.
Willie Thompson:
Interesting. I never thought about that as a concept. Okay, who's most likely to survive the zombie apocalypse?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
This one.
Sanaa Alam:
Wow that was immediate.
Willie Thompson:
Does she have a bunker full of toilet paper and baked beans?
Sanaa Alam:
She loves corn.
Willie Thompson:
Interesting.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
We did the scariest escape room last Monday. There were all these pots where someone had to go do something by themselves and she was like, yes, I'll do it. She loves spooky things.
Leona Neftaliem:
She hopped into a coffin during an escape room by herself.
Ashley Yeh:
What did you find there?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
I don't know. I just love Halloween. Spooky horror films, I honestly love it all. And so I just want to especially thank y'all for indulging in this. I feel like we are on escape room number 786. Anything that has to do with haunted houses or just spooky theme, I'm just obsessed with.
Ashley Yeh:
Okay, perfect. Because Halloween's coming up. Do you have any plans?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
On Halloween day, we're going to see Smile 2. The first one was great, so I'm excited.
Ashley Yeh:
Let me know how it is. The first one was too scary for me.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
We support women's rights. Go for it.
Leona Neftaliem:
And we actually went to a haunted house on Friday. It was scary to me, scary to nobody else. I ended up crying, but Jocelyn was really upset that she didn't get pulled away from the group and beaten up.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
I've also gone through haunted houses alone. So I don't know, I think it's really fun.
Ashley Yeh:
So as a kid, you just always liked scary things, is that?
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
Honestly, my dad used to put on horror movies all the time and he'd always be like, look at this. There's nothing scary about it. And I just embodied that. So nowadays, I love it. I think it's so fun, but it's also, what can scare me? I don't know.
Willie Thompson:
All right. We have to catch you in a zombie apocalypse or something. Maybe The Last of Us.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I think we need scare Jocelyn challenge. That would be fun for you, I'm sure. The whole Knight-Hennessy was just trying to scare me.
Ashley Yeh:
Every time you walk into Denning House, watch out.
Willie Thompson:
All right. We'll do the rapid-rapid fire.
Ashley Yeh:
Who is the most likely to plan a spontaneous trip to a foreign country?
Leona Neftaliem:
You too a little bit.
Willie Thompson:
Okay. We already got Malawi on the list. Any other countries we're hoping to go to?
Sanaa Alam:
I want to take you guys to Spain. For context, I was living in Spain for a year before coming to Knight-Hennessy, and I could not shut up about it for my first few months here. And so they've heard a lot about Spain, but I want you guys to experience it for yourselves.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I mean you're going to be our translator in Mexico. I would love to have you all in Japan as well at some point.
Willie Thompson:
I just won't tag on that trip, because I owe Japan a great debt. All right, so who's most likely to win an argument with a complete stranger?
Leona Neftaliem:
Really? I'm flattered.
Willie Thompson:
I think by the number of fingers I'm seeing, is it a tie between Takondwa and Leona? I think you're all good at arguing with strangers.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like I believe anything Takondwa tells us.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I have to say I clearly enjoy arguing, which is probably why I'm chronically online. That was me in the office, me arguing with strangers when I was younger. But I remember hearing about your negotiation session at retreat and I feel like I heard that you killed it.
Leona Neftaliem:
That's sweet. Johnny ran me for my money. Shout out to Johnny in the 2023 cohort. He's so sweet, I had to give him everything.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
I might also be misremembering this, but I'm also basing my thoughts on the fact that you're someone I trust easily and I think someone a lot of people trust easily. So you could easily leverage that and get someone to believe what you want them to believe, which is a good thing and a scary thing a little bit. But I trust you, so it's all good.
Leona Neftaliem:
Thank you. That's really sweet.
Willie Thompson:
Let's do a couple more of these and then we'll wrap up.
Ashley Yeh:
Who is most likely to bring snacks at every event?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I don't know.
Sanaa Alam:
I love snacks, I feel like.
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I feel like, Denning House has snacks.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
It's like, I'm going to the fridge. Anyone wants something? I don't think I've ever come to your apartment and not been fed something, so I think it is one of you two.
Willie Thompson:
All right. Last one, who's most likely to write a bestselling book about their work or research?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I mean, you're an author. So it's going be you.
Leona Neftaliem:
Begging her, start writing something. Please give us a book.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
The rest of the sentence goes about their work or their research. I feel like its inevitable, it's going to happen.
Sanaa Alam:
No, but Takondwa, can I just say that you are someone that I think has the most poetic use of the English language. Especially when you were giving your storytelling talk, like chills all over my body. The way that you speak, it touches the soul very easily.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Touches the soul. I'm going to use that for a testimonial. "It touches the soul."
Sanaa Alam:
No, truly, truly. Yeah, I could listen to you speak all day.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Thank heavens you get to.
Willie Thompson:
As we're coming to close the episode, there's one final question I think that would be really helpful to folks who are listening. I mentioned at the top of the episode how I saw a lot of y'all in each other's B-roll for videos or for articles that were written. Leona just had an article, an op-ed, that that was published on the KH website about 1 pound homes. 1 euro, sorry, not 1 pound. Americans. But one thing is, it looks like it could be staged or it could be scripted in terms of the dynamics that you all share, but hopefully as everyone's listened to this episode can attest to, it's actually a very sincere friendship. It's a very sincere relationship. And that's something that might not be at the top of everyone's perception around what it's like to be a part of this program and this community.
And so I'm wondering if you had advice to share with people when they're accepted and they're maybe dealing with imposter syndrome or wondering, can I have good friends, can I have five other friends, folks who are on this episode, what would you give them advice on in terms of how to build those and forge those authentic and enduring relationships?
Hannah Melville-Rea:
I was talking to my partner the other week and we were reflecting and goal setting. And the first thing that I wrote down was that I wanted to surround myself with good people and appreciate them deeply. And I feel like Knight-Hennessy is one of the places where I've just met the best people. And I think it's putting that active effort into really appreciating them, and that's something that I just want to keep trying to do more and better. And it's hard because you have research and you have all these things, but I think to me it's just a priority.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Well, I think society teaches us to be intentional in romantic relationships in ways that I think we also need to be intentional in platonic ones. So wooing your friends and romancing your friends and doing gestures for them that are just sweet and nice just because. Going on dates, I mean these MJ Sushi things, things like those where you've got rituals that you intentionally put time into and prioritize.
I also think as somebody who has before experienced the feeling of being alone in spaces before, to be patient with yourself and know that with time you'll find your tribe, even if that time is eight months or two years or three weeks sometimes. It happens at different paces and different spaces. And it's okay to just be in the season that you're in, trust that you are incredible and kind, be open to knowing people, but then also take it at your own pace.
I think in a community like Knight-Hennessy, there are a lot of very type A people, a lot of outgoing people, and especially for people who might feel overwhelmed with that, I understand. And I think yeah, just take it at your pace. Go to events, events can be a good prompting for meeting people, because something happens afterwards, you have something to talk about with someone you've never spoken to. It can be painful and annoying. And yeah, especially in Knight-Hennessy, everybody's in the same boat in some capacity and people are most often more open than not.
Leona Neftaliem:
I think generally, I feel like knowing people so deeply is such a privilege. And I think treating it as such helps a lot in trying to build long-term, long-lasting, beautiful friendships. I also feel like the patience part hit really hard, because I'm a pretty shy person.
Willie Thompson:
I never would've said that.
Leona Neftaliem:
Thank you, I'm flattered. But being an introvert I think in really big spaces is really taxing. But know that there are other people who will match your freak, who will match your vibe. And truly also, I feel like these are friendships that I've prayed for and I feel like I'm living an answered prayer in some ways and knowing that the wishes that you do have will come true. Not to be cheesy, but it's true.
Sanaa Alam:
Yeah, just echoing things that have already been talked about, like having patience and faith and hope that you will ultimately find your people even if it takes several months. Because I think that was sort of my experience at Knight-Hennessy, finding these girls took a little bit of time. But so grateful that I kept going to events, kept saying yes to things, kept putting myself out there and was able to find community in such a beautiful way.
And I think also as a fellow introvert, it can be very overwhelming sometimes to exist in such a large community and feel this pressure to try to get along with everyone and be a certain way and be outgoing and take up all the space in a room. But I think just remembering to stay true to yourself and you don't have to be anything that you're not, people that are meant to find you will love and accept you for who you are. So just remembering to be true to yourself, as cheesy as that sounds, and you'll attract the right people in your life.
Jocelyn A. Ricard:
And I guess I don't know that I can say it any better than these girls right here, but one thing I really try to do is just deeply remember to invest in this community and invest in people who are investing in me. And so yeah, I think it's a deep privilege to be loved by them and I feel really lucky to know them in this lifetime.
Ashley Yeh:
Beautiful, beautiful words.
Willie Thompson:
How fortunate we are to have good friends. Well look, this has been a great, an hour and some change of chit-chat. The thing I also heard in everything that you've shared up to now is a attend Knight-Hennessy events. If you're a scholar, just say yes to the events and be open to finding people who will find you. So thanks.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
And dance at the events. This is one thing the Knight-Hennessy community needs to do better, generally, is more dancing and more people on the dance floor when it is there. Because when people dance, it's a good time for everyone.
Sanaa Alam:
It's so true. Actually Takondwa, the first time I met you was on the dance floor at immersion weekend.
Takondwa Priscilla Semphere:
Yeah, I do remember that. It was so fun. It's also hilarious when we're dancing, because it's like, please be good.
Leona Neftaliem:
It wasn't MJ Sushi?
Willie Thompson:
Well, I want to thank each and every one of you for not just being on the pod, for demonstrating something that's so important to everybody here and a great friendship and a relationship. So we really appreciate y'all making the time and sharing the space, and it's been a pleasure and a privilege to do this. When we came up with the podcast, we wanted to show many aspects of the lived experience of scholars here. And this is definitely unique and we got light, we got vibes going on. But yeah, it's been a privilege and really appreciate it.
Ashley Yeh:
I love friendship. So hearing about it from you guys is honestly amazing. And as a first-year scholar just looking at this, it's really cool.
Sanaa Alam:
Thank you guys so much for facilitating this. It's such a special experience for us. And I want you to say your quote, Leona, about it.
Leona Neftaliem:
First of all, thank you both so much. And it's not every day that a friendship gets to be memorialized on a podcast, so thank you for having us do this.
Ashley Yeh:
It's a time capsule for the next 20 years. You can look back at every bridal party.
Willie Thompson:
Every bridal party. You said you got a quote?
Sanaa Alam:
That was it.
Leona Neftaliem:
He's like lame.
Willie Thompson:
Y'all talk about the voice and how she comes out, I thought it was gonna be like...Can you say it in an Irish accent?
Leona Neftaliem:
It's not every day that a friendship gets to be memorialized on a podcast.
Willie Thompson:
Oh, dang. Well, tiver me shimbers. Or shiver me timbers, whatever you call it. Well, cool. Well, that's the episode guys. We'll talk to you later.
Sydney Hunt:
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Imagine The World, where we hear from inspiring members of the KHS community who are making significant contributions in their respective fields, challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of what is possible as they imagine the world they want to see.
Willie Thompson:
This podcast is sponsored by Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate fellowship program providing scholars with financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford, while helping equip them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world. Follow us on social media @KnightHennessy, and visit our website at KH.stanford.edu, to learn more about the program and our community.
