Each month, Stanford women's gymnastics will check in with an alumna to find out what she's been up to since graduation and how her time with the team and at Stanford has impacted their life. This week's #ThrowbackThursday is Alissa Cooper (2000-03).
***What did you major in at Stanford?
I majored in computer science (during the dot-com bubble!) and co-termed in CS as well.
What is your favorite place on Stanford's campus? Why?
The Dish. I have so many great memories of runs and walks up there. The view is unbeatable. I try to get up there whenever I go back to Palo Alto.
Favorite Stanford tradition?
The Band run. I always loved the festive atmosphere that it felt like it created throughout the whole campus.
Favorite SWG memory?
I have two. One was winning the Pac-10 Championship. I had never smiled so much in one night. It was so much fun to come together as a team and deliver the best performances that we could.
The other was my freshman year, the night after regionals when we didn't qualify for NCAAs. It was disappointing, but we all piled into one hotel room and just got really silly together. The strength of our bond was such that even when we came up short in the gym, we always had the best time when we were together.
Most beneficial thing you learned from being a part of SWG?
Nothing brings people closer together than working their hardest to achieve a common objective. In my professional life I'm always searching for new opportunities where I can collaborate with others who are equally invested in a shared goal.
What aspect of Stanford do you miss the most?
I miss being surrounded by the world's experts in basically every subject. It was truly a unique opportunity to engage with the brightest minds, both students and faculty, all in one place.
What are you up to now?
I'm a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco Systems, where I spend my time trying to make the internet work better and be more privacy-friendly. I've recently settled in Washington, D.C., with my husband Marshall (also an '03 Stanford gymnast) and daughter Vivian, who is one-and-a-half years old.