Kimberly Souza, SSEA 2007

Our weekend field trips were always the highlight of the week. The San Francisco trip was especially fun, visiting the Exploratorium all morning and exploring the city in smaller groups in the afternoon. On other weekends, we got to visit the UC Santa Cruz Marine Biology Center, the San Jose Tech Museum, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and various interesting spots along the San Andreas Fault. Sundays were always a good day to relax, visit the Arrillaga Sports Center or Avery Aquatics, bike into Palo Alto or to the grocery store, and finish up homework for the week.

Nanette Le, SSEA 2006

SSEA was, by far, the best decision I made as a freshman at Stanford. Everyday there were workshops and presentations from different professors in each field. These professors are all at the top of their respective fields and they came to share their insight with us. This was especially helpful because they explained each department in much more detail than the Stanford Bulletin and I was more accurately informed about each department. I was then able to choose which major would suit me best.

Additionally, we took courses in calculus, linear algebra, and computer science. I felt much more prepared for classes when Fall Quarter came because I had experienced Stanford's teaching style before everyone else. I was also more confident when it came to approaching my professors than my peers because SSEA was such a small community that we had several lunches and dinners with our professors.

SSEA also presented us with a number of resources available to students on campus. In fact, I made use of the Career Development Center (CDC) as a freshman. SSEA also introduced the engineering societies to us. I am proud to say that I have been involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) since I was a freshman.

Most importantly, I met the most amazing group of individuals at SSEA. The academic environment aside, SSEA students are the most diverse individuals I have met so far. We got to know each other very well in class as well as on our field trips and living together in the dorm. We consider ourselves a family because we have grown so close to each other and are comfortable approaching one another. The SSEA Residential Staff is also particularly spectacular because they are always willing to give us advice about anything on academics or life in general.

Angela Cheng, SSEA 2005

During my first week at SSEA, a group of us woke up at 5 AM to watch a meteor shower. We brought our blankets out to the catwalks above FloMo (our dorm) and exclaimed every time we saw a shooting star go by. I never regretted missing sleep while getting to know my amazing future classmates. And I saw more blue skies at Stanford than I did at home in Las Vegas!

The Modules were a great way to be introduced to Stanford’s faculty. We found our high expectations of their brilliance fulfilled. Yet at the same time, we came to know how much they cared about sharing their passion with students. During the normal school year, the sheer size of introductory classes may seem a barrier to going to a professor’s office hours. At SSEA, I enjoyed having the leisure to talk to professors at lunch and learn about their research.

Though projects and assignments in Math, Computer Science, etc., took a lot of attention, I always had enough time to do whatever I wished. After classes, I would often go swimming or play Frisbee and volleyball at facilities near our residence. A memory I will always find special was learning to ride a bike in a nearby parking lot on my birthday.

The RAs (resident advisors) were amazing. In addition to being fun, interesting people whom I am glad to now call friends, they were also our mentors and tutors. They came from diverse fields of engineering such as biomedical, electrical, mechanical, and civil. They helped me formulate my four-year plan and helped me to clarify the heavy course load that comes with a major in engineering.

Kevin Dumolga, SSEA 2005

I woke up around 7:45 a.m. every day, because class usually started at 8:30 am. I couldn’t get over how cold it was during the early morning hours. Breakfast was pretty standard — eggs, bacon, juice — the usual stuff. Lunch and dinner had a good variety. As mentioned, it was cold in the morning and evening but did get considerably warmer in the afternoon.

Other students were great. For people from such diverse backgrounds, we interacted quite well. As a matter of fact, I hang out now with my friends from SSEA almost every day and we do a lot together. SSEA introduced me to people I’m sure I’ll have lifelong contact/relationships with.

Classes usually lasted 1.5 hours each. The workload was manageable. The only problem was keeping focus and prioritizing. Study sessions were quite helpful because the TAs knew and understood the courses even when the professor did not explain something in a fashion that we could understand. There were also SSEA-funded field trips which were always fun. At the end of the day, when work was done, there was recreation and social interaction.

Overall, I’m glad I participated in SSEA. Apart from introducing me to different programs offered at Stanford, it also introduced me to aspects of Stanford life that I would not have known about at all, or at least not as early.

Brian Herrera, SSEA 2005

Every day at SSEA had something different and something special about it. I remember waking up early in the morning and walking down to the dining hall to see all the other SSEA students getting ready for the day. I would always grab an extra muffin or two to make sure I had something to snack on during lecture. We would then proceed to the engineering corner in a huge group, which I always thought was cool, getting ready to learn some new stuff. In the morning lecture, we always had a Stanford professor teach us a little about what they did. Talking with professors was always great because they all had such amazing experiences and were doing such interesting research that I couldn't help but ask questions.

After grabbing a little lunch and having a break, we would then move on to our math and computer science classes. Although classes don't sound as exciting, the topics that we learned and the atmosphere in which we were in always made them fun. I had never programmed before, so the computer science classes were extremely interesting, although a little challenging. After our two classes, we were allowed to create the rest of our day. The RA's always had fun activities arranged that would keep us entertained and learn a little more about everyone in SSEA. Dr. Lozano would also have us do activities that would get us ready for upcoming classes and make sure to have a smooth transition into the regular school year.

SSEA has been one of my favorite times at Stanford and it was the little things that happened every day that made it great. Enjoy every minute of it!

Favorite SSEA Memories of...

Jessica Farr, SSEA 2007

SSEA was amazing. It was hard to adjust to at first, but it ended up being a great experience. My favorite SSEA memory is when my roommates and I decided to "decorate" our hallway. We made signs out of printer paper saying students had to use the stairs because the hallway was closed, we put up signs for an ethernet jump rope contest, and we used masking tape to block off a hallway and make a "treasure map" on the floor (which was partially on the wall). The funniest thing was that people followed the signs and couldn't figure out who put the "map" on the floor. I still think some people don't know.

Kimberly Souza, SSEA 2007

One of my most memorable experiences at SSEA was during my first week when a meteor shower was scheduled to hit its peak late one night. A large group of us decided to head over to the Psychology building to try to sneak onto the roof to watch it. It was the perfect spot away from everyone to see the meteors, as well as have a beautiful view of the quad. After successfully getting onto the roof, we had could relax with blankets, pillows, and one student even brought his guitar to play. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know a lot of my fellow classmates whom I had not yet gotten to meet, in addition to seeing an incredible meteor shower.

Nanette Le, SSEA 2006

My favorite SSEA memory was the third Sunday that we had free. A small group of us caught the CalTrain to San Francisco after having done it once the first weekend with everyone else. We spend the day relaxing and walking around. It was so nice to get to know each other and also take in the beauty of the San Francisco area. From that day, I knew that coming to Stanford, and more specifically being in the School of Engineering, I would really love the relationships I would form with my peers. Everyone is so kind and outstanding; it is so inspiring to be surrounded by so many interesting intellectuals.

Brian Herrera, SSEA 2005

SSEA has been one of my favorite times at Stanford. I have so many memories and made so many close friends that I still hang out with and take classes with. My favorite memory, although it is hard to choose, is the trip to San Francisco. We went to San Francisco to explore the Exploratorium; but we did a lot more than that. I walked around The City with a number of other "SSEAites" and had an awesome time. I got a chance to visit Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, and other San Francisco landmarks. We walked for hours but I was so excited about the life of the city that my feet didn't hurt at all. I learned more about the rest of the members in SSEA, and even got a chance to see the infamous "Bush Man." The events and people that were a part of SSEA made all the experiences great and amazing.