Fellowships

The Dalai Lama Fellowship at Stanford

A Collaboration of The Stanford Storytelling Project and the Graduate School of Education

The Dalai Lama Fellowship at Stanford is a year-long program that gives students the opportunity to develop inner resources and skills to lead social change. Fellows learn an approach to leadership that sees it as a set of capacities that allow one to meet the world authentically— capacities such as self-awareness, compassion, and imagination. They also learn how to develop and apply these capacities by collaboratively designing and launching a specific social change project. 

This fellowship is part of a wider, global Dalai Lama Fellowship program that you can read about here.  Stanford Dalai Lama Fellows will learn from and may collaborate with fellows in this wider program. 

What Dalai Lama Fellows Do

Each year, Dalai Lama Fellows form a community with one another, mentors, and teachers to cultivate and practice skills for leading sustainable, compassion-driven social change. Fellows attend two one-day retreats, take one course, develop a grant funded project, and meet regularly as a cohort all year long.  

In the fall, Fellows take a 3-unit foundation course that provides models and practices for human development, LIFE 182 (Wednesdays, 1:30-4:20pm).  Fellows also begin meeting weekly for a one-hour dinner on Tuesdays (likely at 6pm), where we explore how these models and practices can help us become authentic, effective leaders. Fellows will also participate in a half-day retreat with their mentors in the second half of the quarter. 

In the winter and spring, Fellows form teams and develop a service-oriented project, with the support of a small grant. In bi-weekly meals we explore how to apply what has been learned in the fall, how to meet typical leadership challenges, and how to put compassion into action. Fellows also meet and learn from other Dalai Lama Fellows around the country and the world. 

At the end of spring quarter, we close with another one-day retreat where Fellows, in their teams, tell the story of their projects and what they have learned about leadership.

What Fellows Gain

Fellows learn both the theory and practice of skills that support effective, authentic leadership.  The fall foundation course introduces fellows to the capacities that underlie both human development and leadership and the practices that help develop them. Mentorship of projects in the winter and spring quarter help students develop core leadership capacities.  

Fellows receive 3-units of credit for the fall course and a $1,000 stipend to support project development in the winter and spring quarters.  They also become part of a supportive, life-long community of Dalai Lama Fellows from around the world, all committed to becoming more effective leaders and creating more flourishing in the world.

An Integrated Leadership Curriculum

The Fellowship’s unique Head, Heart, and Hands Curriculum offers each Fellow a dynamic learning journey informed by the latest research on leadership and creative practice and by the wisdom of contemplative traditions.  The collaborative development of a specific project across the academic year allows Fellows to experiment with and put into practice skills for mindful awareness, emotional intelligence, creating meaningful connections, navigating uncertainty, using power with care, storytelling, and more. The curriculum focuses on three areas:

  • Head – Training the mind and attention, cultivating self-awareness, understanding systems
  • Heart – Harnessing the wisdom of the heart, deepening compassion, working across differences, navigating uncertainty

  • Hands – “Getting the hands dirty,” enacting wisdom and compassion in social innovation work

Core Values

We embrace and advance five core values as we conduct our work:

  • Integrity — We strive to be wholly honest and to have consistent alignment between our values and actions
  • Interdependence — We work in the interest of present and future generations because we are all connected and mutually dependent
  • Resilience — We meet challenges with optimism, ingenuity, flexibility, and grace
  • Humbition (Humility + Ambition) — We live with the questions rather than presume the answers, and ground social change with respect for others
  • Courage — We have strength to take action for moral reasons, despite doubts, fears or risk of adverse consequences

Who Oversees the Fellowship

The Dalai Lama Fellowship at Stanford has been led over the years by members of Stanford Living Education, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Graduate School of Education, and the Stanford Storytelling Project. In 2024-25, the Fellowship is led by anthony antonio, Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education, and Jonah Willihnganz, Director of the Stanford Storytelling Project.  Fellows are mentored by faculty and staff of these units and Fellows of the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute. 

Who may Apply

Any matriculating undergraduate or graduate student at Stanford.

How to Apply

Application for '24-25 cohort is now closed. Check back here in Spring 2025 for 2025-2026 applications. Leaders of the program will communicate with applicants within a week of application and schedule a brief interview by zoom. 

Current Fellows (2024-2025)

 

Celeste Chung (’26) - My name is Celeste and I'm from Borneo, a giant, rugged island in Southeast Asia's Malaysia Archipelago (search it up, I promise that you'll be astounded by how beautiful Borneo is!)  I'm currently working on making rights to education a necessity in Southeast Asia amongst the stateless community.  This consists of mostly Indigenous tribal groups such as Dusun, Bajau Laut, Murut, and also Filipino refugees. Someone that I admire with my whole heart is my grandmother who has taught me the importance of resilience, kindness and all whilst shaping my understanding of life, love, and what it means to be truly fulfilled.

 

Alison Fajardo (’26) (she/her) - My name's Alison Fajardo, and I'm a first-generation college student studying chemical engineering & biology. As an Ecuadorian-American from NJ, I'm extremely proud of my family, who've fought to help me pave the way to higher education. I'm currently interested in pursuing graduate school for bioengineering in sustainable agriculture. I believe environmental justice is crucial and rally behind community organizing!

Dev Gopal (’27) (he/him) - Dev is a passionate healthcare and housing justice leader dedicated to bridging divides. He believes that innovation can democratize access to healthcare, ensuring that quality services are available to all. With a strong commitment to service, wellness, and spirituality, Dev seeks to inspire others to embrace holistic approaches to health. In his free time, he enjoys immersing himself in fiction novels, solving puzzles, and engaging in thought-provoking debates with the Stanford Debate Society. Dev is excited to connect with fellow changemakers and explore the intersection of technology and compassionate care.

Jaiden McDaniel (’27) (she/her) - My name is Jaiden, and I am from (pick one: California, Colorado, Virginia, Alaska).  Right now, I am super interested in (pick one: philosophy explored through science fiction, fashion choices in American TV shows,  post-Soviet doomer music playlists from YouTube). I deeply admire anyone who can parallel park, since I have accepted that this is a skill I will probably never have. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you throughout the year!

 

Zimin Qian (’26) (she/her) - I am a Junior studying Biomedical Computation from Dayton, Ohio. As a Dalai Lama Fellow, I am looking forward the opportunity to incorporate service and compassionate social action into my practice of Buddhism to give back to others and communities in the area. 

Claudia Sung (’26) - Hi! My name is Claudia. I’m from Virginia Beach, Virginia, which is in Southern VA near the border with North Carolina. I am interested in the overlap between criminal justice and education; right now, I am especially interested in learning about early education since I’m in a class on development psychology! Someone I admire is my mom because of her persistence and her ability to problem solve in even the worst situations.

Dylan Vergara (’26) (he/him) - Dylan Vergara is a junior from the Los Angeles area studying Political Science, American Studies, and Sociology. On campus, Dylan is the Co-Chair of Stanford Votes and serves as a Peer Advisor at the Haas Center. Furthermore, Dylan has conducted research in the Deliberative Democracy Lab, the d.school, Stanford Medicine, and the Clayman Institute for Gender Research. Outside of Stanford, Dylan has worked for the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Ultimately, Dylan is interested in democracy reform, constitutional law, and environmental and cybersecurity policy. Dylan hopes to make a meaningful impact for underrepresented minorities to strengthen democratic guardrails.

Past Fellows (2023-2024)

Ronny Abdullah (’26) is a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering and is deeply passionate about the intricate relationship between Electrical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience. His strong passion for these innovative fields inspires him to engage in impactful projects that tackle significant global issues. Beyond academics, Ronny is an avid fitness enthusiast, finding balance and inspiration through running and physical wellness.

Lizbeth Zambrano-Sanchez (’26) (she/her/ella) is an undergraduate scientist-activist at Stanford studying Earth Systems, focusing on justice, energy, and land. She is also a Mexican community organizer from the hood out of East Los Angeles and is ready to develop community-centered energy equity solutions. In her spare time, you can catch her spending time with loved ones, swimming, and reading poetry. 

Susanna Newsom (’26). I’m a sophomore at Stanford, and I’m passionate about the intersection of Christianity and social justice! I believe that “every act of selfless love is a declaration of faith” (shoutout Bob Goff) and Christianity is a calling to go towards suffering, be with people who are hurting, prioritize other people above ourselves (countercultural, right?), and let go of our agendas! I feel closest to God when I spend time with/in His creation, and I feel a special inclination toward mental health advocacy and prison reform. At Stanford, I’m a Psychology Major, Creative Writing Minor, Tour Guide, Bridge Peer Counselor, Outdoor Trip Leader, and member of RUF! I also recently performed in Gaieties, and, outside of school, I work with Elephant Havens (an elephant orphanage in Botswana) and spend most of my summers at Camp Greystone!

Jeannette Wang (’26) (she/her) is a sophomore studying political science and public policy. She is passionate about developing solutions that address national issues with local nuance. With the fellowship, she hopes to combat polarization on campus and create a culture of openness to a diversity of viewpoints along the political spectrum. 
 

Ezekiel Contreras-Forrest (’24) is a graduating senior at Stanford University. He is passionate about affecting change in marginalized communities at home and abroad. His project is centered around developing community centers for orphaned and foster youth. By developing this support, he hopes to give the youth opportunities to attain an education, develop their passions and live good lives in the future. 

Omkar Katre (’27)

Tenzin Choesang Scholer (’26)

Troy Schouten (’24)

Emma Thain (’25)