Caroline Keyes

Caroline Keyes is a junior majoring in IR and minoring in psychology and Spanish. Caroline is passionate about the intersection between business and social impact as well as policy reform in the foster system. 

What have been your favorite classes connecting your academic interests? 

I've loved studying IR and psychology because the two can be so intertwined. Much of a person's personality and value system is shaped by the environment in which they grew up, and this can be vastly different depending on the culture and society of that place. Some of my favorite classes at Stanford have been modern history classes that delve into the recent events that shape a nation or region's collective identity. Two that really stand out are History 174: Mexico since 1876 and IntnlRel 131: Understanding Russia, which are great introductions to these two countries that deal with recent history and current politics and culture. It's been so fun to hear my professors talk about their experiences while studying or living in these countries while learning about these events in class. Professor Stoner, the professor of Understanding Russia, went to grad school in Russia in the 90s during the collapse of the Soviet Union and its aftermath, so going to class and hearing about her crazy stories of being FaceBook friends with the richest Russian oligarch in 2000 or meeting Putin while teaching at Princeton has given so much life to these events and people. I plan to spend senior year taking as many specific history classes as I can fit in my schedule!

How have your studies connected with your interest in social impact outside of Stanford?

This past fall, I interned in San Francisco with a nonprofit called Juma Ventures, which helps Opportunity Youth--youth who grew up in poverty, have a history with foster care or juvenile justice, or have experienced significant trauma--across the country get employed, learn financial literacy skills, and get connected to a long-term career. In San Francisco, Juma youth typically work in stadiums at different sports events, but due to Covid, none of the youth had jobs to support themselves. This internship was meaningful to me because I was able to help research businesses and find new opportunities for people my age as we're all going through the pandemic together. I've interned with foster care nonprofits in the past and see foster care reform as a lifelong passion of mine, so exploring new ways to support these kids was extremely significant. After college, I plan to pursue a career in the intersection of business and social impact, so learning about business development, creating pitch decks for outreach, and presenting to the Juma team was a great learning experience while working for a great cause!