What do an 18-year-old college freshman and a 78-year-old lawyer have in common? A 9 a.m. class in Encina Hall every Thursday morning.
Every fall, alongside the start of a traditional undergraduate quarter, a new cohort of Distinguished Career Institute (DCI) fellows arrive for a year of undergraduate classes and immersion in the Stanford community. Brought together by a passion for lifelong learning, this year’s cohort comprises 27 lawyers, teachers, CEOs and other acclaimed individuals.
For Mary Cranston ’69 J.D. ’75, the DCI fellowship is a chance to complete her senior year. Cranston, whose time at Stanford included Big Game bonfires in Lake Lagunita and a stay in the once all-female Branner dorm, graduated in just three years her first time around.
“I have really regretted that ever since,” Cranston said. “So what I’m doing is just taking anything that intrigues me because that’s what I would have done with my fourth year.”
Cranston launched her distinguished career out of Stanford Law School (SLS), becoming the first woman hired into litigation at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, one of the oldest and most prestigious law firms in the Bay Area. She spent 26 years as a trial attorney before becoming CEO of Pillsbury, again as the first woman in the role.
A member of the University Board of Trustees, Cranston first heard about the DCI fellowship when it launched a decade ago. For Cranston, being a DCI fellow has long been a bucket list activity. “I found it totally amazing to go back to the same university where I was an undergrad 50 years later,” Cranston said.
Cranston spent the last 25 years serving on nonprofit and corporate boards including Visa, TPG, Chemours and Go Health, asking the question “How can I help?” to guide her leadership and now, her time at Stanford.
Steven Schatz is another lawyer in this year’s cohort. A current lecturer at Berkeley Law School, Schatz has held prominent roles as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and as the Co-Chair of Lawyers for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign.
For Schatz, the cohort itself is a draw. “I really was looking for community,” Schatz said. “It’s amazing how very strong bonds are made in a brief period of time.”
The cohort gathers every Wednesday and Friday for special sessions with faculty and an opportunity for DCI fellows to dive into a half hour presentation on a meaningful part of their life in a segment they call “Life Transformation Reflections,” or LTRs.
In addition to bonding with the cohort, Schatz seeks to push his academic boundaries. “I guess I want to make sure my mind doesn’t turn to mush,” he said.
Schatz named AMSTUD 154B: “American Intellectual History, 1900-Present,” taught by history professor Jennifer Burns, as his favorite class so far, with a DCI-specific memoir writing class coming in close second.
Maya Altman, a longtime healthcare advocate, has a similar philosophy for learning that motivated her to return to college. She wanted to take advantage of proximity to the “great minds” on campus — professors and students alike.
“I love the interactions with students,” Altman said, commenting that students are “incredibly smart” and also “very nice and welcoming.”
Altman’s class list encompasses a wide range of subjects, including lectures and seminars across disciplines, not just healthcare, where she has spent the majority of her career. Her interdisciplinary transcript is by design — Altman came to Stanford hoping to meet people outside of the fields where she spent her professional life.
“I take too many classes. They tell us not to do that,” Altman said, relating to many eager undergraduate Stanford students.
Altman has spent nearly two decades leading the Health Plan of San Mateo, a public, locally funded Medicaid managed health care plan, before her retirement after the pandemic. Altman first heard about the DCI fellowship from an Atlantic article by David Brooks, titled “The New Old Age.”
Brooks’ article was also responsible for bringing in Liz Cutler, a career educator, artist and sustainability activist. Cutler was the Director of Sustainability at Princeton Day School for over 15 years before transitioning into a sustainability consultant role.
“I retired but I wasn’t tired,” Cutler said. “I knew I had more in me.”
A resident of Princeton, N.J., Cutler has spent her life around and affiliated with universities. However, Stanford stuck out.
“Stanford is unlike any place I’ve ever been,” she said, noting that how the University uniquely positions research in the context of action. According to Cutler, there is a culture of asking, “How can what I’m researching make the world a better place?” everywhere on campus.
Cutler’s background as a professional artist brought her to the d.school, where she took DESIGN 60: “Visual Expressions.” Despite being a successful professional artist, Cutler found the class challenging. “Hard class — I got my butt handed to me,” she said. “But, I learned a lot and the students were so talented.”
Cutler, Altman, Cranston, Schatz and their 23 cohort-mates are making the most of their time here at Stanford and in thoughtful conversation with each other. Schatz joked, “I wanted to meet some people who are interested in talking about something other than golf.”