Our Fellows Share Their Experiences

The Identity Review Fellowship is a dynamic community of young and ambitious individuals with a passion for creating impact in their respective fields. Through the years, we have had the privilege of working with some of the most driven and innovative young people of our time. We believe that our fellows have the potential to become the change-makers of the future, and it is our goal to provide them with the resources, support, and mentorship needed to achieve their goals. Here we compiled a collection of thoughts from our fellows, highlighting their unique perspectives on the fellowship and the invaluable experiences they gained from it. From building lifelong relationships to honing their craft and discovering their true passions, our fellows have shared with us their most valuable lessons and insights from their time since joining the program.

What is the Fellowship? 

“The Identity Review fellowship is more than just a cohort. It’s a community of very unique and extremely impressive people from incredibly different walks of life who have become some of my closest friends. They are people that I can rely on – both academically and personally! …It’s amazing that I can hit up the IR fellows all the time and see each other whenever we are in the same cities ” – Sarah Raza, 2020 Fellow, Stanford University Alum.

A moment that made a big impression on you

“For me it was the Miami retreat, which was the third retreat I attended, and the first one for the incoming class. It was a full circle moment to be able to see people joining the Fellowship and learning from them, but to also give them insight on what I’ve learned over the year. At that point I had done several things that were inspired by what I learned during my Fellowship, including working as a reporter for a national business newspaper and becoming a lot more involved in the startup ecosystem esp. in media and tech.” – Lydia You, 2020 Fellow, Princeton University Alum. 

Who is the kind of person you would recommend for the Fellowship? 

“This program is for the type of person who is extremely self motivated, has conviction about the type of world they want to build, and values action over words,” shares Ivy Tsang, 2021 Fellow, University of Southern California Alum.

Others add:

• Not afraid of their views and willing to stand up for their values.
• Social and conversational.
• Curious in many different ways.
• Someone who values connections and puts effort in nurturing their personal relationships.
• Someone excited about the world!
• Ideally has a real stake in the future of technology, policy, and business.
• A genuine humility combined with intense drive to learn.

What was the most valuable aspect of the Fellowship?

“The exposure to different fields and non-traditional career paths, and the connection to individuals who all have unique and thoughtful view on the world and their place in it. Access to Shannon is also an extremely, extremely valuable resource – she will be your cheerleader for life!” – Lydia You, 2020 Fellow. 

Tips on how to make the most of the speaker program

“Speaking with the speakers after the private fireside chats – they’re such a diverse and cool group of people that have given me perspective about the many different things I can do post school.” – Lydia You, 2020 Fellow. 

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• Learn more about the Fellowship Program