Getting To Know A Professor

"He is definitely a faculty member I feel like I could go to for advice, feedback, or even a letter of recommendation (which I have done, in fact)."  

Micaela Suminski, '17 

Have you been happy to have taken a course outside your major field?

"During my first quarter, I didn’t really have a clue what was going on, and I felt pretty intimidated by my classes. I took a Thinking Matters class called “Can the People Rule?” (CTPR). One of the Teaching Fellows for CTPR was named Adam Zientek. During my first week of classes, I had to switch my schedule around a little, which included switching into Adam’s section for CTPR. This section quickly became the highlight of my academic week. Adam is blunt and informally inviting; he challenges his students to think deeply and analytically, while maintaining a relaxed section atmosphere. I often stayed after section with another student (who is now one of my closest friends) named Sam, to talk to Adam about anything from the potential of the foundation of democracy in China, to Jeremy Bentham and utilitarianism, to our daily lives, to Cal dining halls (Adam went to Cal for undergrad), to Adam’s dog (Oscar, the cutest). I learned a lot in CTPR, but the best part was becoming tight with a faculty member. Adam gave constant feedback on our writing, and although he was a tough grader, my writing improved a ton during just one quarter. His great feedback provided another avenue for Adam to get to know us, and vice versa. As a result, I felt like Adam really knew me as a student, and he is definitely a faculty member I feel like I could go to for advice, feedback, or even a letter of recommendation (which I have done, in fact). "

Micaela Suminski

Undeclared
Class of 2017

If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.