Stanford’s Best Dressed Freshmen

Oct. 30, 2014, 10:16 p.m.

Josh Petersen

Photo by Ashley Overbeek.
Josh Petersen. Photo by Ashley Overbeek.

Major: Philosophy and either Science, Technology and Society or Math

Describe your style: Fairly preppy, but [it] definitely takes a lot of the southwestern and Austin feeling to it – muted tones, different textures and a good pair of shoes.

Hobbies: Classical piano, acting and generally loafing about.

Secret talent: Tap dancing

Favorite book: “All the King’s Men”

Best thing about Stanford: I really like the cognitive atmosphere, and no matter how much work I have, I still feel a positive community around me everywhere. Also, the weather is much better than it is in Texas.

Tell us something we don’t know: I want to be a public school teacher. I had a teacher tell me once that, if you or someone you know isn’t teaching your kids, then who is? I think that’s a very powerful statement to the influence that one can have over someone’s education, either in a positive or negative way.

Stylish Frosh
Brexton Pham. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Brexton Pham

Major: Computer Science

Describe your style: Southern prep

Style inspiration: Mama Pham. My mom used to be a Nordstrom designer, then she had me and said “Oops, I can’t travel!” So I feel like I’m compensating for that.

Hobbies: Eno-ing. It’s a portable hammock and you can bring it on hikes, strap it to any two trees…also, slacklining.

Ideal first date: Exploring a city together and finding gentlemanly opportunities to show that I’m a man– because I ain’t got muscles – so I have to prove it somehow. I’d like to open the door, pay…

Role model: Daenerys, from “Game of Thrones.” She’s the Khaleesi of the Dothraki.

Secret talent: I can parkour on heelies.

Jessica Lindsay

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Jessica Lindsay. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Mathematical and Computational Science

Describe your style: I’m quite transatlantic. I dress quite differently than American people. English style is more formal, tailored. But I have very casual days, too.

Style inspiration: I wore a school uniform for 11 years of my life, so after that I just wanted to try anything. I love magazines and follow a lot of fashion Instagrams.

Ideal first date: I’m quite traditional in that I like dinner and a movie. But if someone was to surprise me, as long as the surprise went well, I’d be impressed. Also, the key to my heart is macaroons. I’m 100% feminist, but a guy that opens your door, buys you flowers, buys you dinner… that’s always nice. [Also] someone to make you laugh. You gotta laugh.

Favorite spot on campus and why: The roof of the Law School.

Role model: I’m going to go with the cliché and say my mom: she’s frickin cool.

Secret talent: Skiing.

Gabriel Hernandez

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Gabriel Hernandez. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Looking into Symbolic Systems.

Describe your style: Unique.

Style inspiration: My sister. A while back I would wear whatever, but one day she said “Let’s go shopping.” She influenced my style.

Ideal first date: A lakeside picnic. Maybe I’d bring a guitar and make some nice little sandwiches.

Role model: My dad. He’s very service-oriented. Whenever someone needs something, he’s always willing to help. He’s a pastor and will go to meet someone who calls at three or four in the morning. It makes me want to be there for others like that.

Hobbies: Piano, guitar, any music and making scavenger hunts.

Secret talent: I can beatbox while playing the harmonica. And you have to guess this one. *Does impeccable Obama impersonation*

Kyle D’Souza

Stylish Frosh
Kyle D’Souza. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Dream job is to become an astronaut. I’m also interested in education reform.

Describe your style: Western, classy and gorgeous.

Style inspiration: My English teacher junior year had all this Western clothing from Arizona. He would talk in this nice button-down and jeans and look great.

Ideal first date: Cooking pizza at the brick oven at Stanford’s farm.

Favorite spot on campus: The Bender Room.

Role model: Neil Armstrong, without a doubt.

Hobbies: Backpacking.

Secret talent: I can do K-Pop.

Stelio Ropokis

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Stelio Ropokis. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Psychology, Computer Science

Describe your style: Simple, but classy. I love solid colors – blue, green, black – but also patterns. Urban Outfitters has some cool patterns. This is what I do when I buy my clothes: I go to an outlet with no nice brands; I’ll go straight to the clearance section; and I’ll just look through it and see if I can find one or two pieces that really stand out.

Style inspiration: Clean cut things that look effortless but are actually really put together. I’m inspired by aesthetics [and] ways that things fit together – the dichotomy between simplicity and things that stand out.

Ideal first date: Go to a really cool restaurant in San Francisco…walk and talk by the Pier, Golden Gate, all around…then go to a really cool restaurant with food I’ve never tasted before and just talk.

Favorite spot on campus: Memorial Court, with the Main Quad on one side, and the oval across from you. It’s beautiful, and sitting by the Rodin sculptures, I think about the history there…how many people have walked these quarters.

Role model: Steve Jobs, I love how he believed in the design and aesthetics of a company. I think that’s so important with everything, especially with where the world is headed, I think design is starting to take a more and more important role.

Hobbies: Tennis, swimming, meeting people [and] Instagram.

Lillian Bornstein

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Lillian Bornstein. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Theater and Psychology

Describe your style:  I like wearing things that I find interesting.

Style inspiration: Thrift stores, Goodwill, old movies, old magazines…I like cutting things up and putting them all over.

Ideal first date: A walk on a nice fall day with lots of laughing. It doesn’t matter where. Good discussion transcends location.

Role model: Tavi Gevinson and social rights activists like Nelson Mandela, Ghandi [and] Martin Luther King.

Hobbies: Theater, eating, dancing, spending time with dynamic people and forcing people to do crafts with me.

Secret talent: The “shopping cart” dance move.

Anne-Sophie Bine

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Anne-Sophie Bine. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Humanities-related

Describe your style: I developed a personal style when I moved to Paris, five years ago. Aside from having a timeless edge that I strive to, I really got to my style when I realized you could show very little skin and still be feminine.

Style inspiration: My mother dresses very well. She has a very classical, stylish, timeless look…lots of French brands, simple cuts and lines [and] very feminine. My original basis has to do with me borrowing her clothes.

Words of wisdom: I’ve learned that the way you are dressed when you walk out of the house in the morning is how you’re going to look like the whole day — so fashion isn’t to dress up every morning, but to dress down and still be elegant. That’s simplicity.

Hobbies: Writing. Writing is my biggest thing. I wrote an article for The Atlantic about depression, social media and psychology. If I had taken a gap year for modeling, I doubtlessly would’ve written about it.

Vianey Villalobos-Zuniga

Photo by Ashley Overbeek.
Vianey Villalobos-Zuniga. Photo by Ashley Overbeek.

Major: Civil engineering

Describe your style: I usually am a super colorful, vibrant person, or I just go for greys, browns, blacks, because that matches with anything. I love high-waisted anything…and crop tops.

Hobbies: I like to draw…love listening to music. I love to eat. I could do that for the rest of my life.

Favorite food: Pizza or enchiladas.

Secret talent: I can write with both my left and right hands.

A motto you live by: Just do you. Be yourself, and go for what you want to do, and forget what other people think. Do what makes you happy.

Describe a time you followed that motto: It’d be going for engineering, because I was always told, Girls don’t really do science. Maybe you should do something like art. It’ll be easy. It’ll be fun.” But that doesn’t make me happy. I want to do math and science. That’s made pursuing this major right now great.

Check out the photo gallery here.

Seunghwa Madeleine Han '17 is a sophomore at Stanford interested in English, international relations and the intersection of technology and human communication. She is currently a contributing writer for music and a former news desk editor at The Daily. Contact her at mhan95 'at' stanford.edu to find out more.

Login or create an account

Apply to The Daily’s High School Winter Program

Applications Due NOVEMBER 22

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds