Insights Over Ice Cream 2022

Welcome to a new academic year! Stanford Women’s Cap and Gown is elated for the year ahead of us. Our organization’s mission is to foster an intergenerational community of women leaders here at Stanford, extending opportunities for mentorship, networking, academic planning, and more. As such, much of fall quarter has been and will continue to be dedicated to community building. We hope to introduce Cap & Gown’s mission to the diverse class of 2026, while also reinforcing a campus presence among returning students.

Cap and Gown made a strong debut for the 2022-23 academic year with our first event for the fall quarter: Insights over Ice Cream! Held in the lounge of Ng, this event brought together Cap and Gown student members, prospective members, and alumni members, including Kathryn Kilner and Ruth Cronkite, for speed mentoring. Attendees spent an hour on the evening of Thursday, October 20th enjoying their sweet treats while exchanging tips and tricks. Students engaged in 10-15 small group discussions with one of our four alumni members in attendance, guiding the conversations based on the issues which matter most to them. Conversations varied from navigating major declaration, entering the workforce fresh out of college, and finding balance between career ambitions and personal ambitions.

Cap and Gown intended for this event to draw in prospective members, with Co-President Aden Beyene noting that “the ice cream merely served as an added bonus to the real treat: a space for personal learning and bonding.” We were elated to see both familiar and new faces among the group of attendees, and hope everyone left with a valuable life lesson and an understanding that the Cap and Gown community is always open for engagement.

This event was organized by a committee of four Cap & Gown Student Board members under the direction of committee chair Emily Liang. The committee was pleased by how the informal gathering turned out. Insights over Ice Cream committee chair, Emily Liang, described the event as “so much fun! Not only did I enjoy the sweet treats, I also enjoyed the opportunity to have intimate conversations with alumni to learn about their academic and professional journey.”

Fall quarter will feature more events to come, including student activities like hiking the dish and a brunch & headshots event. All are welcome to attend and learn about Cap and Gown. Stay engaged with Cap and Gown by following our Instagram presence (@stanfordcapandgown) and subscribing to our general mailing list (capandgown@stanford.edu). We hope to see you this quarter!