Portraits

Natalie Jabbar

“When I came to Stanford at the age of 18, I never expected I would be here more than a decade later. Now I can’t imagine the shape and the texture of my life without all that this place has given me. I have been inspired and humbled, disillusioned and revitalized in lecture halls, libraries, and meeting rooms. I have nurtured and been nurtured in dorm lounges, hallways, cubicles. I have celebrated great joy in co-op kitchens and grieved tremendous loss on benches in the Main Quad. And through it all, I have encountered incredible people across every corner of campus who have become my dear friends, and who have taught me how to walk through this bewildering world with an open mind and a hopeful heart.”

Natalie Jabbar, ’09, English, MA ’10, Journalism (in Communication Department), Senior Writer and Content Manager for the School of Humanities & Sciences at Stanford

Photographed at the California Avenue Farmers Market on January 24, 2016.

Why the market?

“Children chomping on apple samples, professors buying bright bouquets, grad students swinging tote bags of kale. Every Sunday morning, I wander through this market and am reminded of the vibrant, organic substance thriving amidst the screens of Silicon Valley. There is magic in this community of food and friends. (And speaking of friends, thanks to the wonderful Aku Ammah-Tagoe for inviting me to this morning adventure.)”