[MIP]: Can you tell us about your background before MIP?

[TS]: I came straight from undergrad at Howard University, where I studied computer science and international affairs. My time was split between attending my coding classes and rushing off to my congressional or trade internships. Being really integrated in the D.C. sphere, one of my most transformative experiences was the year I spent studying and working in Taiwan as a U.S. Boren Scholar. From researching Taiwanese history to having dinners with engineers at top semiconductor firms, I became really interested in how technology impacts global markets, and how we can make it inclusive: Who is included in conversations around AI, and whose values are reflected along the way? After graduation, I was selected for the Rangel Fellowship, which provided me with a pathway into an economic diplomatic career in the U.S. foreign service. All that was left was to pick a graduate program.

Why did you choose MIP?

In preparing for a career in government, I really wanted experience outside the D.C. bubble. I thought Stanford would be a great place to learn what technology looks like from the side of innovators and people building it. MIP also stood out for its emphasis on implementation through the problem-solving framework. That was really interesting to me. There are a lot of really broad questions on the upstream level of creating policy, but I knew that in my career, I wanted to be on the downstream side implementing policies in real-world settings and working with stakeholders in different regions. The small cohort and opportunities to tap into the larger Stanford community, whether through the law school or computer science (CS) department, offered so many ways to learn and grow. And yes, I craved the Northern California sun, something I explicitly joked about in my application essay.

What has been your main policy focus at Stanford?

I stayed quite consistent, but my depth increased greatly. Curious about how values and national ambitions impact technology development, I found my niche in conversations around AI sovereignty in particular. I spent time researching questions like: How does localized data and infrastructure impact Southeast Asian markets? How do you build cultural alignment into AI? Who is legitimately participating in tech procurement decisions? Through a fellowship with the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), I worked with peers to analyze different government-backed AI initiatives. We started delving into these projects and worked across law and linguistics to map out what AI sovereignty can mean in practice.

What does it mean to you to be part of the MIP community?

It means so much! I am really inspired by how open to learning our cohort is. Our interests are so diverse: one classmate is learning about carbon credit systems and building financial models, while I learned about EU data privacy and U.S. content moderation law. Being part of MIP means cultivating the ability to enter unfamiliar domains while bringing your own background to contribute and add value. A good example of that was when I took a Trust and Safety course taught by Alex Stamos and worked in a group of CS students to create our own content moderation systems. They started off ready to build programs and models, so I said, ‘show me, I’ll learn.’ But when questions came up about content moderation across languages, or labor practices in different regions, I was able to lead using my knowledge of Chinese and international business practices. Even in deeply technical spaces, MIP students bring something to the table.

Reflecting on your two years here, what stands out?

On the community front, as President of the International Policy Student Association, I did a lot of organizing to bring people together. I find a lot of joy in connecting with people, so I enjoyed the role. For example, our annual retreats to Napa Valley were really memorable, and we had a great time connecting and reflecting on our lives throughout the years. It was really nice to learn not only about but from all these amazing people within my cohort.

On the academic front, the capstone was one of the most exciting experiences, where I had the opportunity to examine the risks of deploying AI in the telecoms sector in the UK. My team traveled to London and worked with various stakeholders, including the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, where we were able to host a workshop based on our research. It was a really unique experience, and learning what AI sovereignty and development looks like through the UK lens was eye-opening. The project culminated in a presentation to the UK AI Security Institute, and it felt amazing to see our research make a tangible impact. This experience also connects so well to my upcoming summer role.

What’s next for you after graduation?

First, I’m playing tour guide for my family on a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway. It will only be their second time in California, the first being when they dropped me off here! Then I’m doing the Stanford Seed program and heading to Nairobi, one of the most prominent tech hubs in all of Africa. In many emerging markets, AI development isn’t just about models or compute. It hinges on connectivity and building digital infrastructure. I’ll work with a domestic company building telecom towers, connecting them with global partners while writing a report on Nairobi’s AI ecosystem. It will be an interesting balance of understanding digital infrastructure needs and what the future looks like for enabling AI development in the region. Also, I have never traveled to Africa before, so I’m looking forward to it and practicing my Swahili.

Did your goals shift while at MIP?

At first, I was certain that my life-long role in AI governance would be one informing and representing the U.S. government interests. But as I went through the program, I started critically thinking about who else is vying for a stake in this space outside of major world powers like the U.S. and China. Working at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore last summer, I learned first-hand how tech hubs in the Global South are increasingly seeking to build domestic AI ecosystems to increase their individual autonomy and resilience amidst geopolitical tensions. Now, with this new role, I'll really delve into that. I’ll be working with a Kenyan digital infrastructure company seeking to grow in an industry where the two major players are the U.S. and China. It's going to be exciting to see how they navigate the space and great-power competition.

How did MIP prepare you to make a policy impact in your career?

I can think of a couple different ways. One of the things I really cherish about the MIP program is how much I learned from my cohort. As somebody coming straight from undergrad, I was nervous about not having as much expertise, but everybody here is very supportive. When I think about the policy analysis skills I gained, I think about classmates who worked with me through economic problem sets, or others whose career experiences in the private sector informed my research here.

On the teaching side, I loved the case-study approach. Talking through very specific problems with Professor Fukuyama and analysing the implications of niche case studies was a unique way to think about actual policy issues. The problem-solving framework really stuck with me as well. It plays a fundamental role in how I think through policy issues, and how I approach trying to solve them.

Do you have any advice for prospective and incoming students?

Be open to trying new things and don’t default to familiar paths. For me, making the leap to come to California and learn things outside of my wheelhouse was one of the best experiences I've had in my educational career. Our professional careers will be full of situations where we're faced with things that are unknown, so the ability to drop into something unfamiliar and quickly figure out the lay of the land is so important.

And to the incoming class of 2028: lean on each other and build a strong buddy system. You’ll need it to make it through Stanford. Some of the best life and career lessons I received came from my cohort. MIP has this special ability to bring together people from completely different backgrounds and experiences, and that diversity creates incredible collective learning.