Brandi Ransom entered graduate school at Stanford University in Fall 2018 where she has been awarded a Knight-Hennessy Fellowship. Brandi is interested in studying polymer mechanics, she hopes to be able to work on creating a model that allows us to predict how new materials will react in different environments.
The Knight-Hennessy Fellowship wants to prepare moral leaders for the coming years in this world. They want to develop people who are able to make informed, important decisions, even if they are unpopular. They are looking for people who will work harder to do the right thing. Because the world is connected even though there are large distances between us, the fellowship needs people who will be able to fight for people they may not be able to relate too, and care about problems that in no way benefit them. Knight-Hennessey scholars need to be able to lead from an ocean away.
“The criteria for receiving the fellowship is to be able to out-think, out-work, and out-care other people. And I have to assume that my application did that. I am glad that through my experiences I developed into the kind of person that the admissions committee thought was worthy of this honor. The German Studies major definitely opened my eyes to different problems around the world, which gave me a broader perspective on how problems can be solved, and learning a second language will better equip me to help people by becoming more immersed in their culture.”