‘Stanford is the people that make it up’: Reunion homecoming showcases its alumni body

This weekend marked the return of thousands of alumni to campus. From the Class of 1965’s 60th reunion to the first gathering for the Class of 2020, homecoming brought tailgates, familiar faces and lectures given by professors. Mingling came in the form of panels, parties and a triumphant football win over Florida State University.

Every year, reunion weekend reflects the stories and experiences of its alumni body, but the graduating years ending in zeroes and fives are especially unique. This weekend, half of the returning students graduated from Stanford at the turn of a new decade. The Class of 2000 graduated just months into a new century. 

Class panels and storytelling-oriented events carried this spirit. Historian and professor David M. Kennedy ’63 hosted a talk “Coming of Age in the Tumultuous ’60s,” while “Good Vibrations” provided a TED-talk style program from the Class of 1970.

Last Friday, University president Jonathan Levin ’94 formally welcomed alumni at Memorial Auditorium. After professors presented a few small lectures, Levin returned with Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice and former Yale President Peter Salovey to discuss the future of America’s universities.

Their conversation left a lasting impression on Manuel Saldaña ’85.

“My wife and I especially appreciated the presentations and microlectures,” Saldaña said. “Condoleeza Rice was awesome ahead of Jon Levin.” 

Crediting his success to Stanford, Saldaña majored in economics and went on to become a lawyer. Everything began, Saldaña said, with his first-year dorm, Casa Zapata.

“[Stanford] gave me a shot when nobody did,” Saldaña said. “I got the golden ticket.”

Clara Kelley ’20 M.S. ’21 continues to work for Skydio, the company she interned for as a student. Attending her class’s first reunion, Kelley enjoyed seeing old friends from her computer science major, co-term program and from the archery team. A defining feature of the college experience for Kelley was graduating in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Stanford sent students home eight weeks into her final winter quarter. 

A Bay Area native, Kelley grew up wearing Stanford sweaters. The influence of the university spanned her childhood and will continue into her future.

“There is something about the intellectual curiosity, the love of learning and trying new things that I think has flourished from Stanford and has served me really well in the working world,” Kelley said. 

This reunion cycle also marked key anniversaries for communities and organizations on campus. The Haas Center for Public Service celebrated its 40th anniversary with crepes and a keynote speaker. At the close of reunion weekend on Sunday, Red Barn, Stanford’s equestrian center, invited alumni to its grounds for brunch, line dancing and to meet its horses.

Unlike many alumni found at Red Barn, Jonathan Maas ’00 never rode horses during his time at Stanford, but now wishes he had. Bringing his family to the event on Sunday prompted his advice to current students. 

“You don’t have to be great at everything and fully committed to everything,” Maas said. “Just try as much as you can.”

A biology and history double major, Maas has held seven different careers since graduating, from teaching for the Peace Corps to stand-up comedy to data analysis, to name a few. He drew on his experiences to offer post-college advice.

“Just keep at it, keep learning, keep trying and you’ll always be able to bring your past skills with you,” Maas said. “Life, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, goes up and down. It’s just great being able to come back and be with so many good people at such a good institution, and being able to remember the time that you got it right.” 

Maas marks the Class of 2000 by its vibrancy. At the precipice of the Silicon Valley boom, he recalled how his classmates went in all different directions post-graduation, some to previously unheard of positions in the tech and social media industries. He misses the diversity of his class the most, as he reflected on the more narrow experience of the professional sphere. Kelley ultimately echoed Maas’ sentiment.

“There are absolutely ways to build and find communities of wonderful people at Stanford,” Kelley said. “Stanford is the people that make it up.” 

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