Each year, in the months leading up to commencement, we produce a small set of profiles featuring graduating seniors. The pieces are intended to show prospective students what a Stanford experience can look like and to emphasize messages around affordability, excellence, access, and impact. But we always end up feeling like they're a bit of a gift to our current community as well--a simple chance for us to reflect on who we are, where we've been, and where we're all going at a moment of big transition. Grayson, who grew up on a dairy farm, "served" as the Stanford tree and dreams of going to space as a NASA astronaut. He was a delight to work with, and his coupling of earnest ambition and goofy irreverence felt like a hand-in-glove embodiment of our university culture. We put in hard work to source our subjects, with heavy emphasis on character and peer recommendations. We did all we could to let Grayson's authentic experience drive the product, and we saw our partnership with him pay off through wide reach on social media and robust positive audience engagement. We were also able to repurpose excerpts and quotes for admissions.
From the Judges
We congratulate Stanford University on this engaging video totally created in-house. The student featured gave the video great value and an authentic feel. Great impact among its student audience and on social media. This video offers inspiration for other schools for sure.
